'Sounded Like The Heavens Opened': Jersey Shore Residents Counting Blessings After Tornado Slams Through Towns
CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- With funnel clouds seen in towns from Cape May County to Atlantic County, the Jersey Shore got slammed by Tropical Storm Isaias. Cleanup is well underway in Marmora after a tornado ripped through this area Tuesday morning.
Residents are just grateful no one was severely injured.
This is what Marmora looks like in Cape May County after a tornado touched down.
"It sounded like a jet was like right over our roof. It was really loud, and that's when we decided that we should probably seek shelter," Liz Evans said.
Thankfully, she was not injured and her home stayed intact. But the same can't be said for nearby neighbors and businesses.
Downed trees took down power lines, and winds were so strong that trees toppled over on homes and cars, and the roofs of several businesses were also ripped off.
"We actually didn't even know that the tornado was happening. We just came out and my grandma was like oh yeah, a tornado just touched down there and we were like yeah that's probably what happened," one man said.
Over in Strathmere, Cape May County, the damage was less severe.
"It sounded like the heavens were opening, and it got really bad and really dark," Catherine McGrath said.
But residents still feared for their lives when the tornado touched down.
"Everyone was just running away from this area towards the beach. And then about 20 minutes after that it got dark again and we had something called sheer winds, and they told us to take refuge in the library if we didn't have anywhere else to go because we were not supposed to be in mobile homes," McGrath said.
It was a weather event many are grateful came to an end.
"Me and my dog rode it out. I don't know how we did it! But the whole place was moving. I've never seen anything like that," said McGrath.
Power is expected to be restored to the area Wednesday morning or possibly in the afternoon.
