N.J. salon owner says EF2 tornado nearly destroyed business

MERCERVILLE, N.J. (CBS) — The Nationwide Climate Service confirmed Wednesday a twister barreled by means of Mercer County.

The EF2 twister with winds of 110 to 115 MPH toppled bushes and broken properties in Lawrence and West Windsor Townships Tuesday afternoon.

Cleanup has begun in the future after the twister touched down. The NWS says it lasted solely about six minutes, however took fairly a toll on the world.

“I by no means skilled something like that in my life and I by no means need to once more,” Lisa Evanko mentioned. 

The twister ripped a roof off of a enterprise, uprooted bushes and cut up them in half. And that is simply a few of the harm,

“You could not even see the vehicles,” Mark Cusato, of Salon Cusato in Mercerville, mentioned. 

It was enterprise as regular for Cusato till the extreme rain and wind moved in and the door began to pop open.

“I’m attempting to drag it closed and the wind is blowing and rain and stuff is flying by and they’re screaming at me to come back in, and I am pulling and it is not budging,” Cusato mentioned. 

Lastly, Cusato was capable of shut and lock the door. Evanko says she was hiding below the desk.

“I noticed bushes and items of fence flying by, it was just like the Wizard of Oz, it was loopy,” Evanko mentioned. 

The salon, itself untouched, however it is a small glimpse into the harm surrounding it.

“I believe if it had come from the east this manner, it will have blown the home windows and destroyed all of the buildings right here,” Cusato mentioned. 

Not removed from the salon at Lawrence Sq. Village, the Purple Cross says not less than 27 models have been destroyed.

“I’ve seen it on TV and taking place to different locations however by no means thought it will occur to me,” a lady mentioned. 

Whereas the cleanup is much from over, those that reside there nonetheless cannot consider what swept by means of.

“That is fully uncommon for Mercer County,” a person mentioned.

Nobody was injured and the Purple Cross helps these affected.