Tornado and Damaging Winds in New Jersey, September 2, 1998

A series of severe thunderstorms produced wind damage throughout most of Gloucester County as well as a weak tornado (F0 on the Fujita Scale) in East Greenwich Township. A couple of homes were damaged by downed trees. Two homes were also damaged by lightning and the ensuing fires in Woodbury and East Greenwich Township. No serious injuries were reported. About 3,000 homes and businesses lost power. The least damage was reported in the far northwestern part of the county. The first thunderstorm started to produce wind damage in Paulsboro around 745 p.m. EDT. The thunderstorm peaked in intensity over East Greenwich and Mantua Townships. It was within East Greenwich Township that the funnel cloud which threatened both Chester and Delaware Counties touched down as a weak tornado around County House Road at 750 p.m. EDT. It briefly stayed on the ground before lifting. The Brown and Green Terrace areas were hit the hardest within the township. Shingles were ripped from roofs and at least one house was struck by a tree. A large tree also fell across the Conrail tracks. Straight-line wind gusts with the thunderstorm reached 77 mph in Clarksboro within East Greenwich Township and 63 mph in Washington Township. Wind damage from the first thunderstorm continued southeast with trees, limbs and wires knocked down in Pitman and Washington and Monroe Townships. In Cecil (within Monroe Township) one-quarter of a mile of a county road was blocked by downed trees. A second severe thunderstorm entered the county in Logan Township around 9 p.m. EDT and proceeded to down additional trees, limbs and wires in Woolwich Township, Swedesboro, Clayton, Washington Township, Newfield and Franklin Township.