High Wind in New Jersey, December 12, 2000

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system and its associated cold front produced high winds across New Jersey during the morning of the 12th. Peak wind gusts ranged between 50 and 71 mph in most areas. The most serious injury occurred when a 13-year-old boy was crushed by a fallen tree in Trenton. Ten other injuries were reported. A quick thinking bus driver avoided further injuries by evacuating a school bus before downed wires set it aflame. The high wind knocked down trees, tree limbs, power lines and holiday decorations. Several buildings, homes and vehicles were damaged by either the wind or fallen trees. The high winds spewed the streets with fallen branches and runaway trash and recyclables and knocked down numerous Christmas trees at nurseries. About 82,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state. All power was restored by the afternoon of the 13th. New Jersey Transit reported about 25 trains were delayed because of debris on the tracks. The tree damage was relatively high given the reported wind speeds. Part of the reason was due to relatively benign winds during the latter half of the year. Many trees and tree limbs that were rotted or diseased were knocked down. In Northwest New Jersey, Sussex County reported the most wind damage as numerous trees were knocked down. There were 21 calls of downed trees in 5 municipalities along. Several roads were closed including U.S. Route 206 in Stanhope and Newton. In Andover Township, a woman was trapped in a vehicle for one hour because of downed wires. The worst reported property damage occurred across central New Jersey. In Monmouth County, the facade was ripped from a building in Sea Bright. The second floor of a home in Union Beach was damaged by a fallen tree. In Middletown Township, a man was injured by a fallen tree. Numerous roads were closed and several vehicles were damaged by downed trees. In Middlesex County, a 150 foot by 200 foot section of aluminum roof was peeled from a store in the Shoprite Plaza. Five properties were damaged by downed trees in Woodbridge. In Middlesex Borough, the wind broke four large panes of glass. A 29-year-old man was injured on River Road in Piscataway when a 100 foot tree fell on the hood of the vehicle he was driving. Winds were so strong on the Garden State Parkway Driscoll Bridge that vehicles were blown from lane to lane. In Somerset County, in Branchburg, a quick thinking bus driver evacuated 25 first and second graders through the rear of a school bus before a downed wire set the bus on fire. The bus was charred. In Mercer County, in Trenton, 9 students were injured when a large tree fell on them while they were waiting in front of a school. One 13-year-old boy was critically injured with a fractured skull. He shoved another student from harm's way. The injuries to all of the students could have been worse if not for the downed tree falling first onto a traffic signal box. The Mercer County Board of Social Services was evacuated and closed after a chunk of its roof and shingles fell onto the parking lot. Two of the three buildings owned by the Zettler Food Supply Company were condemned after they suffered roof damage. A downed tree damaged a house in Lawrence Township.While damage reports diminished across the southern half of New Jersey, some were reported in Mercer and Burlington County. In Burlington County, the wind tore part of the roof and the chimney from a deli in Mount Holly. A 130-year-old tree fell through a fence and was leaning on a Medford house. A driver in Riverside escaped injury after their moving vehicle was struck by a falling tree. In Ocean County, the high winds ripped the overhang away from the store roof in the Beachwood Shopping Center. A sign fell on and damaged a boat in Beachwood. Nine municipalities reported downed trees and wires.The strong west to northwest winds caused lower than normal tides at the time of low tide the afternoon of the 12th. The low tide at Sandy Hook was 2.6 feet below mean lower low water. Blowout tides (as these are referred as) start causing low water problems when they reach 1.8 feet below mean lower low water. The only exception were west facing shorelines. The strong winds and wave actions brought water from Barnegat Bay into the streets of Seaside Park.Peak wind gusts included 71 mph in High Point (Sussex County), 69 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 67 mph in Seaside Park and Barnegat (Ocean County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 61 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County), 58 mph in Lawrence Township (Cumberland County), 54 mph at the Belmar (Monmouth County) Airport, 53 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 51 mph at the McGuire AFB (Burlington County), 48 mph at the Millville (Cumberland County) and Morristown (Morris County) Airports, 46 mph at the Trenton (Mercer County) Airport and 45 mph at the Somerville (Somerset County) Airport.The low pressure system intensified from a 1009 Mb central pressure in Missouri the morning of the 11th to a 984 Mb low near Burlington, Vermont the morning of the 12th. The rapid drop of the central pressure of the low of about 25 Mb within a 24 hour period is normally described as a meteorological bomb. This rapid intensification normally occurs over the western Atlantic Ocean, but when it does occur over land, can produce high winds and wind damage.