What's a gustnado? Brief storm strikes NJ community during Friday's severe weather

Not only did a tornado touch down in South Jersey during last Friday's string of severe storms, but something dubbed a "gustnado" also made landfall.

The 50-yeard wide gustnado spun for less than a minute for about 100 yards near North Blue Bell Road and Coles Mill Road in Franklinville, Gloucester County, around 12:50 p.m. on May 16, 2025, the National Weather Service said.

"It was determined that a brief gustnado formed at this location, snapping the trunk of several hardwood
trees and taking down several large softwood branches," the weather service said. "Video received from the homeowner showed the trees and branches falling after a rapid wind shift. Analysis of radar data showed a strong signature of a rear-flank downdraft in the vicinity, which likely spun up this brief gustnado."

The weather event packed winds of 100-105 mph, the NWS said.

So, what's a gustnado? It's not to be confused with a tornado.

"A gustnado is a small, whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows," the weather service said. "They do not connect with any cloud-base rotation and are not tornadoes. Since their origin is associated with cumuliform clouds, gustnadoes will be classified as Thunderstorm Wind events. Like dust devils, some stronger gustnadoes can cause damage.

No injuries were reported from the brief weather event.

Collings Lake tornado was stronger than 1st determined

Residents of Collings Lakes, New Jersey, already knew their small town was hit by a tornado during Friday's storms. Well that twister was actually stronger than first announced and had a path stretching nearly 9 miles.

The National Weather Service on Monday upgraded the intensity of the tornado that touched down at 12:42 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025, to an EF-1 storm packing 90 to 95 mph peak winds. The storm was initially believed to be an EF-0.

Forecasters also updated the path of the twister that spun for about 11 minutes after forming near the intersection of Janvier and Tuckahoe roads in Williamstown.

"The tornado then moved SSE crossing Birch Ave where several hardwood trees were snapped at the trunks," the weather service said. "This is where the tornado reached its greatest width of 300 yards. Traveling SE from there, where it likely lifted at times, the tornado crossed W Malaga Rd near the Victory Lakes community, damaging a wood fence and several small tree branches."

The twister wasn't done yet on its 8.6-mile trek from Gloucester County to Atlantic County.

"Continuing its discontinuous path SE, a telephone pole was snapped near the intersection of E Piney Hollow Rd and US 322 before moving SSE again towards the Collings Lakes neighborhood," the weather service said.

Damage was reported along Malaga Road, where several large branches were knocked down and some metal roof sheeting was peeled off, according to the NWS. Some other blocks also received some less severe damage.

The ordeal shocked residents.

"It was just unbelievable, I was just asking, 'Can I actually say I survived a tornado?'" Collings Lakes resident Al Baker told NBC10.

Baker said he lives next door and was outside when the tree fell, which also hit some power lines and made the block go dark.

"I called my brother, I said, 'Is that a bomb that went off?' He saw the tree on her house," Baker said.

Fellow Collings Lakes resident Monique Raio said she rushed home to see if her house and her neighbor were OK.

"My Ring camera was saying, 'Tornado! Tornado!'" she recalled.

"I came home, and seeing in person and pictures, I was shook," she added. "I did not expect this."