Weather officials who inspected the damage said the microburst packed winds of 85 mph - just as strong as a low-level tornado.
All those toppled trees, downed utility poles and damaged roofs in Cumberland County were the result of a powerful microburst, not a tornado, the National Weather Service has determined.
After visiting the hardest-hit areas in Bridgeton and Hopewell and inspecting the damage on Monday, the weather service found the damage is consistent with what is typically found after a microburst hits with straight-line winds, as opposed to rotating winds that would be associated with a funnel cloud.
Weather officials determined some of the wind speeds in the microburst were as high as 85 mph, which is just as strong as a low-level tornado.
When they surveyed Shoemaker Lane at the intersection of Barretts Run Road in Hopewell, a team of meteorologists from the weather service's regional office in Mount Holly found "numerous trees sheared off and some uprooted," the weather service said in a statement issued Monday evening.
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"Some trees were in excess of 2 feet in diameter," the statement said. "There was also substantial damage to a metal garage on Shoemaker Lane. The damage ended near the Wal-Mart on Route 77 in Bridgeton, where several power poles and trees were felled. There was also damage to roof shingles and flashing along the path."
A microburst is a very intense thunderstorm that generates strong bursts of wind, known as downdrafts, that could linger up to 5 minutes. It is similar to a tornado in terms of the wind intensity, said weather service meteorologist Mitchell Gaines.
"With a microburst, it's a much larger burst of wind" and it typically causes more widespread damage than a small tornado, which usually has a much more narrow path, Gaines said.
A low-level tornado, an EF-0 on the intensity scale, packs winds of 65 to 85 mph.
Most of the damage in Cumberland County occurred late Saturday night, shortly before midnight, when a line of heavy thunderstorms swept through New Jersey, followed by fierce winds that continued blowing into Sunday afternoon. Some gusts as high as 70 to 74 mph were reported by the weather service.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.