Storm Leave Path Of Damage Across South Jersey
CHERRY HILL, N.J., (CBS) – Residents in southern New Jersey are cleaning up after strong storms moved through the area Wednesday night, causing major damage.
With chainsaws and heavy equipment, crews labored to remove an enormous tree in Cherry Hill.
The roof is gone, two bedrooms are destroyed and a downstairs living room now has a skylight, but according to the homeowner the tree fell on a favorable angle.
"My wife was watching television and she just heard a very large what she described as an explosion," said Frank Olivo. "There's nothing damaged or that we lost that isn't replaceable. So everybody is fine and that's all I really care about."
The Cherry Hill Fire Department say in all they got about 60 calls for downed tree branches and wires. The Woodcrest section of town had some of the worst damage.
"This is unbelievable, I've lived in this neighborhood since 1984 and I've never seen any devastation like this," said Chris Haines. "I back up to something just like this and I had my daughter sleep downstairs last night, we were terrified."
Further south, the limbs are gone but damages could take weeks to repair after a tree fell on the All Kids First II Daycare and Preschool in Vineland.
The tree fell shortly after the business closed for the day.
"So there were no children in here, no parents, no staff so we were really fortunate," said owner Carol Deola.
Deola knows it was a close call and that puts all the mess in perspective.
"The damages we can fix, but human lives, that is something else so we were really blessed."
The daycare will not be opened until at least the beginning of next week.
In Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service determined a tornado touched down in eastern Lancaster County.
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