AccuWeather Warning Week: Experts note increased number of tornado warnings in the New Jersey area

MULLICA HILL, New Jersey (WPVI) – It has been a very active spring with severe weather across the country. In our area, we have so far been spared from major outbreaks.

In recent years, our region has become increasingly accustomed to severe weather, including tornadoes.

Almost three years ago, an EF3 tornado struck Mullica Hill. It was the strongest tornado in New Jersey in over 30 years.

Businesses in the region affected by the tornado still remember that day well.

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“We just stood on the driveway and cried and thought, is this a sign from God? Like we’re done. What are we going to do? We have cows trapped, cows running around. Everything was gone,” said Marianne Eachus.

On September 1, 2021, the Wellacrest Farm in Mullica Hill was no longer recognizable. An EF-3 tornado with winds of 150 mph swept through New Jersey’s largest dairy farm.

The tornado was over 12 miles away. About two dozen homes were destroyed and about 100 more were damaged. That day, our area experienced seven tornadoes in one day.

“Almost three years later, every day is still a challenge. You just put one foot in front of the other and keep going,” Eachus said.

Over the years, Wellacrest Farms has been able to rebuild with the help of the community. The farm estimates the damage cost nearly $3 million.

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“We’ve just seen very changeable weather summer after summer with many tornado warnings and many confirmed tornadoes,” said meteorologist Paul Fitzsimmons of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

The National Centers For Environmental Information’s Storm Events Database shows that the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly has issued 162 tornado warnings between 2019 and 2023.

In the previous five years, from 2014 to 2018, the agency issued 43 tornado warnings. Fitzsimmons attributes this to his agency’s strong team of meteorologists and better technology.

“We have higher resolution radar than we had years ago, so it makes it a little easier or more likely for us to detect tornadoes that weren’t detected before,” Fitzsimmons said.

She said she will always take tornado warnings seriously to residents and business owners like Eachus.

“I take the warnings seriously because I never did. I just thought, oh, there are never tornadoes in Mullica Hill, and then – boom – we had one,” she said.