North Jersey was among the hardest hit areas as severe thunderstorms tore through the state Tuesday afternoon.
The storms brought tornado warnings, flash flooding and reports of funnel clouds forming. A tornado warning forced people across the region to take shelter.
“I don’t even know how to describe it. It was so loud, like just a humongous crash,” said Joe Webber, of West Caldwell.
“Everyone’s texting in the group chat, and I’m like, oh my goodness, what’s going on,” said Gerard Strumolo in West Caldwell. “I saw a tornado watch. I was scared, I jumped out of bed, I had to take shelter. I went to the basement — I was really nervous.”
“We were just kind of shocked, because we’ve never had something like this in New Jersey,” Michael, also in West Caldwell, said. “We’re not in the Midwest.”
The storms produced similar scenes elsewhere in the state. Video from Parsippany appeared to show a funnel forming. In Morristown, streets filled with water within minutes of the tornado warning as heavy rain fell.
The National Weather Service says two tornadoes appear to have formed in Morris County, as well as a waterspout in Cape May.
An NWS survey team will be in New Jersey on Wednesday to determine the size and scope of the twisters.