Southern and central New Jersey was hit with a series of powerful storms, damaging winds and a possible tornado in Stafford Township on Tuesday morning.
It was not immediately clear how much damage the storm caused in Stafford, a municipality in southern New Jersey's Ocean County, but power lines were knocked down, traffic lights toppled and roads were flooded. Authorities are also investigating whether a possible tornado touched down in the Stafford Township, reports the Associated Press.
Other powerful storms with damaging winds also swept through parts of southern and central New Jersey Tuesday. Walter Drag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the storms moved from east to west across Salem and Gloucester counties, touching part of Camden County as well.
As a result, thousands of New Jersey residents were left without power after receiving two inches or more of rain. Flooding was reported in Middletown, Long Branch, Neptune, Wall Township, Ocean Township, Deal, Little Egg Harbor Township, Deptford, Paulsboro, Gloucester City, Woodbury and Lindenwold.
The storms interfered with New Jersey's special primary election Tuesday for a U.S. Senate seat. Some voting booths in Burlington County had to be moved when water seeped into polling places, and roads in numerous towns became impassable because of flooding.
Shortly before 1 p.m., many of the strongest storms were headed out to sea and the weather service canceled a special marine warning just after 12:30 p.m. But a flash flood warning remained in place for Mercer County and southern Hunterdon County due to small streams that have overflowed their banks.
A large storm system also swept through northern Maryland on Tuesday morning that prompted tornado, thunderstorm and flood warnings in Harford, Baltimore and Cecil counties.
Multiple thunderstorm warnings alerting residents to strong winds and possible quarter-sized hail have expired in the region. Flash flood watches and warnings were also issued, but have since been lifted, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania the National Weather Service issued another flash flood warning for Lancaster County through the remainder of the afternoon, after it received reports of ongoing flooding and road closures from the early-morning storms that brought as much as three inches of rain.
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