BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A brief EF-0 tornado touched down Friday afternoon in Atlantic County as severe weather moved through southern New Jersey, the National Weather Service confirmed following a damage survey.
The tornado developed in the Collings Lakes section of Buena Vista Township at 12:52 p.m. and remained on the ground for approximately one minute. It traveled roughly half a mile before dissipating, with estimated peak winds between 65 and 75 mph and a path width of 25 yards.
Officials said the tornado was part of a larger thunderstorm system that prompted warnings across the region. No injuries or major structural damage were reported in connection with the event.
“An EF-0 is the weakest tornado on the six-level severity scale that’s used by the weather service,” the agency stated in its report Friday evening. The Enhanced Fujita scale classifies tornadoes from EF-0 to EF-5, with EF-0 indicating limited wind damage.
A storm assessment team from the National Weather Service was dispatched to the area after reports of downed limbs and isolated wind damage emerged during the storm’s passage.