The National Weather Service in Mount Holly issued a tornado warning Thursday evening for south central Ocean County and southeastern Burlington County in New Jersey, keeping it in effect until 8:30 p.m. The warning covered Tuckerton, Bass River State Forest, Mystic Island and a stretch of the Garden State Parkway between mile markers 53 and 61.
That made the search for shelter immediate, not hypothetical. At 8:02 p.m., the storm with radar-indicated rotation was over Bass River State Forest, about 18 miles north of Atlantic City, and moving southeast at 25 mph. Just three minutes earlier, it was near Surf City and moving southeast at 30 mph. The National Weather Service also reported a 58 mph gust at the North Beach Haven mesonet station at 7:49 p.m., while the storm was producing 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail.
The warning was aimed at people in the path of a fast-moving storm with enough rotation to raise the risk of a tornado, and the weather service said flying debris would be dangerous for anyone without shelter. It warned that mobile homes could be damaged or destroyed and that roofs, windows and vehicles could be hit, with tree damage likely. Residents were told to take cover now, move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, and avoid windows.
For people near Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor, the advice was even more urgent: get away from the water and seek safe shelter immediately. The warning also made clear that radar rotation did not settle the question of whether a tornado had actually touched down. That remained unclear, along with whether any damage or injuries had been reported in the affected areas.
The event fit into a wider stretch of severe weather moving through southern New Jersey, and the warning showed how quickly a storm can turn a routine summer evening into a race against the clock. For those in Ocean County and Burlington County, the next step was not to watch the radar — it was to stay inside and wait for the warning to expire or be updated.
