Post-Tornado, Howell Cleans Up Debris; Town Council Praises Response

HOWELL, NJ — The township is chipping away at the cleanup of trees and brush in the days after Saturday's tornado brought 120 mph winds to a swath of the community.

The Department of Public Works has started removing trees, said Victor Cook, head of the Office of Emergency Management for the township.

And he reminded residents to bring tree and brush debris to the curb for pickup.

He also said the township is advising residents with property damage to contact their home insurance company to begin the process of restoration.

Many fences and sheds were damaged in the storm - and some siding. One house in the township had its entire roof ripped off. There were 30 to 40 houses damaged in the April 1 storm, the township police noted in a social media post.

At the Township Council meeting Tuesday night, the many township employees and first responders who have been helping out since Saturday to handle the storm and its aftermath received a round of applause from the Township Council members and the public.

Mayor Theresa Berger commended those involved in the work.

"Everyone did an amazing job. You all pulled together," she said.

Township Manager Joseph Clark said departments in the township coordinated well and "the response was amazingly fast."

He read a list of names of employees in many departments who have been working all week now, such as those in the Office of Emergency Management and Department of Public Works, among other departments.

Senior Services Director Melanie Decker was singled out for helping with the shelter that was set up at the Howell Senior Center for those affected by the storm's resulting power outages.

Victor Cook said Tuesday morning that only three customers were still without power. Elementary schools are back in session, too.

The National Weather Service on Monday confirmed that a tornado with winds as high as 120 mph first struck the Aldrich area Saturday evening and then continued to create damage for 1.4 miles, including at the Winding Brook Mobile Homes Park, emergency officials said. The NWS categorized the tornado as an EF-2.

Two other EF-2 category tornados touched down - one in Jackson and one in Sea Girt. The Sea Girt tornado ripped off the roof of a supply building at the National Guard Training Camp youth academy there.

No injuries were reported anywhere.

There was also a tornado confirmed in Upper Freehold Township, a category EF-1. It also caused tree and utility wire damage, but there were no injuries from the storm.

The Howell tornado hit most fiercely on Spicy Pond Road's southwest corner, lifting off a roof of one house and carrying a rafter 125 yards to a house behind on Addison Road, the National Weather Service confirmed late Monday.

The National Weather Service also confirmed that what it referred to as the "Jackson-Howell" tornado was was 150 yards wide and 1.4 miles in length, the weather service said.

Cook said the "Jackson-Howell" tornado first came down in the Aldrich area, near Jackson, and went along Addison Road toward Spicy Pond Road. It then traveled along New Friendship Road, to the Winding Brook trailer park in the Ramtown area. He said the area of Route 9 by the ShopRite was in its path. On Saturday, a bus shelter there was destroyed, officials said.

Here were some of the main areas of damage, according to Cook:

• Cook said a family renting the 17 Spicy Pond Road house were on the second floor when the roof came off, but no one was injured and the family has found other housing.
• Aldrich School on Aldrich Road lost its solar panels. They were blown to the field and playground behind the school. No injuries or other damage was reported.
• The Winding Brook Mobile Home Park off Route 547 had a series of poles snapped, Cook said.

Cook said residents should continue to contact the Emergency Operations Center at 732-961-5100 to report damage.