Damaging Wind in New Jersey, May 18, 2000

A very intense severe thunderstorm caused about one million dollars in damage to homes and properties within South Plainfield Borough. Hundreds of trees were knocked down, some were four feet in diameter. Power was lost to 28,700 customers in the area as seventeen telephone poles were snapped. Power was not fully restored until the 22nd. A state of emergency was declared in the borough. A dozen streets were impassable because of downed trees. No serious injuries were reported. The severe thunderstorm damaged 36 homes. The worst damage occurred to a house on Reiffel Place when an 80 foot oak tree crushed its roof and rendered it uninhabitable. Over half of the monetary damage occurred in the Clinton Corners Strip Mall. The thunderstorm ripped the roof from the Bravo Supermarket within the mall. About seven other stores within the mall suffered lesser damage. At least one vehicle within the borough was crushed by the fallen trees.