The first confirmed tornado hit Midway Manor in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, touching down near Fountain Hill and ending near Bethlehem outside of Allentown. According to the NWS, the tornado hit at 7:21 pm and only lasted 2 minutes, ending at 7:23 pm. The tornado had a path that was about 0.30 miles long and 160 yards wide. Winds in the tornado were estimated to be 100 mph, making it an EF-1 rated tornado. Damage to the roof of a church, uprooted trees, and shingles removed and tossed are among the damages reported here along with nearby crop damage. No injuries or fatalities occurred with this tornado.
The second tornado was an EF-0; it struck in Holland Township in Hunterdon County. It struck at 7:37 pm and lasted only a minute to 7:38 pm. This tornado traveled 0.52 miles and had a width of about 150 yards. This EF-0 tornado had winds estimated to be 85 mph. This tornado struck near Reiglesville – Milford Road in Holland Township, causing tree damage and significant damage to two farm outbuildings. The damage continued over open fields before creating additional tree damage and ending.
Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, which became operational on February 1, 2007, is used to assign a tornado a ‘rating’ based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. When tornado-related damage is surveyed, it is compared to a list of Damage Indicators (DIs) and Degrees of Damage (DoD) which help estimate better the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced. From that, a rating (from EF0 to EF5) is assigned. In general, EF-0 tornadoes have 65-85 mph winds, EF-1 have 86-110 mph winds, EF-2 have 111-135 mph winds, EF-3 have 136-165 mph winds, EF-4 have 166-200 mph winds, and EF-5 tornadoes have winds in excess of 200 mph. The EF Scale was revised from the original Fujita Scale to reflect better examinations of tornado damage surveys so as to align wind speeds more closely with associated storm damage., with the new scale related to how most structures are designed.
According to the NOAA, in the period from 1950 to June of 2022, there have been a total of 184 reported tornado touch-downs in New Jersey, responsible for 80 injuries, 1 death, and more than $84 million in property damage. In a typical year, New Jersey will see 2-3 tornadoes. However, while the overall volume of severe storms and tornadoes has trended down significantly across the entire United States, the opposite has been occurring in New Jersey. In 2019 10 tornadoes were recorded while in 2020 the number dropped to 4; however, the number rose again to 13 in 2021.
