Cleanup continues in parts of New Jersey after weekend tornadoes
JACKSON, N.J. - Parts of New Jersey have a major cleanup on their hands after this weekend's violent storms.
Late Monday, the National Weather Service confirmed six tornadoes touched down in the Garden State.
People across the area have terrifying stories of survival.
One of the tornadoes ripped the roof off a warehouse in Jackson, throwing it several feet back. Luckily, no one was inside.
"The wind started shaking the trailer, and the hail was coming down. It was scary. I heard you're supposed to go in a place with no windows, and I am like I have windows all over the place here," said Jackson resident Barbara Matthews.
Matthews lives in the community where one of the tornadoes literally lifted a mobile home up, throwing the owner several feet back. For most, there was nowhere to take shelter.
"I sat my chair in the bathroom and sat in the bathroom until the worst of it was over," Matthews said.
Residents in the area are mostly 55 and older. One couple shot video during the tornado.
"We had just gotten home and our phones were going off crazy. The sky turned black, and I opened the door. Hail was coming down, and then the winds came through - nothing like you ever heard before," said Jackson resident Angela Andrews.
Andrews and her husband helped vulnerable neighbors after the tornado moved out - especially those on oxygen.
"We are thankful to be alive and everyone here is safe," Andrews said.
The American Red Cross has set up shelters in Jackson and Howell, delivering meals and water. Aerial views show the damage in Jackson.
Officials say it's rare for there to have been so many tornadoes in one day, and another in February. New Jersey residents need to be tornado-ready.
"Luckily, so many people we are talking about here did get in their bathtubs. Other homes they did get into their basements. But if you don't have a basement you want to get into an enclosed room away from windows away from doors," said Diane Concannon of the American Red Cross.
That's what one man and his family did in Howell Township.
"It sounded like thick pieces of hail hailing," said Moshe Wajsbaum.
Another tornado in Howell tore down fences and brought down trees as well as power lines.
Howell residents say around 7:40 p.m. Saturday they heard a loud sound - the tornado ripping through fences and bringing power lines and trees, something neighbors in Howell told CBS2's Christine Sloan they haven't experienced before. Many said within minutes of the warning, they rushed into their basements as power went out.
"We knew it was coming our way. We pulled down all our shades. We got a bunch of stuff. My husband is a diabetic, so we got his supplies, and got flashlights, when I heard a big loud boom. I am like, this is serious, let's get in the basement," said Howell resident Caroline Smith.
A massive tree barely missed their home.
"Stayed in the basement for an hour and heard crazy winds blowing and thunders," Wajsbaum said.
The American Red Cross is still tallying up the damage. There are trees down across the community.
For them, and many others, the cleanup is continuing.
The town has set up a shelter for residents who may need to charge up phones or pick up water.
