​EF-0 Tornado Confirmed In Princeton During Ida Storm​

PRINCETON, NJ —The Nation Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Princeton on Wednesday, during the raging thunderstorm triggered by remanents of Hurricane Ida.

The Storm damage survey team confirmed an EF-0 tornado in Princeton, with estimated peak winds up to 75 mph. This was the sixth confirmed tornado in New Jersey.

The NWS will release more details on the tornado on Friday.

Emergency alerts went out in the Princeton area around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Princeton University asked students to take shelter and not venture out for classes or to the dining hall.

Tornadoes have also been reported in Gloucester County, Montgomery County, and Bucks County, both in Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service. Two were reported in Bucks County.

An EF-0 tornado generally sees wind gusts of between 65 and 85 mph. More about the different tornado grades can be found at weather.gov.

Read More Here: VIDEOS: Confirmed Tornado Rips Through South Jersey

Several roads were flooding throughout Princeton On Wednesday, with many vehicles stranded on the roads. Police asked residents to stay home. On Thursday morning, all main roads in and out of Princeton were flooded and closed. All the municipal buildings in Princeton were also closed on Thursday.

A 58-year-old Princeton resident was rescued by New Jersey State Police after local rescue efforts were unsuccessful due to raging floodwaters.

Read More Here: Princeton Driver Evacuated After A 4-Hour Rescue Operation

Another motorist was stranded with high rising waters on Rt. 206 in the area of Quaker Road. The 30-year-old Montgomery resident was rescued from the roof of the vehicle with assistance from The Trenton Fire Department.

In Hopewell Township, three police officers were rescued after they were swept away by raging floodwaters. They hung on trees for almost two hours, until help arrived.

Read More Here: 'Miracle In Mercer:' 3 Police Officers Rescued In Ida Flash Flood

Officials have linked at least nine New Jerseyans' deaths to Ida, as the state continues to recover from the storm. People lost homes, streets remain flooded and public transportation has been hampered.

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