Tornado in Bayville NJ Friday 8-31

[windtrip]

Anyone else see the tornado in Bayville Friday at about 6pm?

Bayville is about 4 miles from Seaside, probably closer to Trixie's. Just before it hit the sky looked like a bruise crossed by a sick green luminous band. I regret going out for that last jibe when it was clear that some weird weather was on its way.

What is was a tornado but I never saw it. The wind died right before it and I was too busy swimming. A few minutes later pummeling rain and a half hour of winds averaging 40-50 mph. Gusts for sure higher. Lightening sparking all over the place. A transformer blew up in Bayville knocking out power to lots of homes. Some boats near us dragged anchor, banged together and beached.

Everyone we could see that was on the water got in OK. Hope you did too. Thanks to everyone who kept an eye on me.

[f2girl]

Although I wasn’t at Bayville, I was at Bayview Park at Branch Beach on LBI just a few miles south of you. I was windsurfing that afternoon into the late afternoon. I was overpowered when the winds where gusting to about 25 mph and I had a 6.5m sail (I weigh 130 lbs and I was on a 187 liter board!). The sky grew very dark as the local shop Island Surf and Sail was starting a ladies race. Just before 6:00pm it started raining heavily and the skies got very black and ominous (moments before, I derigged). I didn’t see the tornado, but because of how bad it sounded out there at the beach house we were renting I checked iWindsurf, and you are right, it went to 25 to around about 50 mph in just a few minutes. Imagine what would have happened if you were powered up at 25mph and kiteboarding around that time instead of windsurfing. Glad you got back safely.

I attached the wind plot in case you didn’t see it. Stay safe!