The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a tornado touched down in New Jersey's Mercer County as severe weather swept through parts of the state a day ago -- a rare but not unprecedented occurrence this time of year.
The confirmed tornado hit in the Quaker Bridge area of Mercer County Tuesday afternoon. More details, including the path length and path width, are expected to be released later Wednesday.
The last time New Jersey recorded a tornado in February was on Feb. 12, 1999, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. No injuries were reported in that case, but the F1 tornado caused about $100,000 worth of damage in Camden. It was one of four tornadoes reported in the state since 1950.
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On Feb. 2, 1973, three twisters caused minor damage in Hunterdon, New Jersey.
It is possible that there have been more tornadoes in February in the past, but due to "an apparent correlation between population density and the location of storm reports," there may not have been reports of tornados in less populated areas, officials noted.
