Severe Weather Causes Damage And Outages At Jersey Shore

WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- Cape May County saw widespread damage after a powerful afternoon storm brought down trees and power lines.

"I've been here through hurricanes and Nor'easters," said lifelong Erma resident Larry Crunell. "Never seen anything like this before. This is crazy."

A severe storm came into Cape May County around 3:30 p.m., bringing heavy rain and high winds.

At the peak of the storm, some 36,000 Atlantic City Electric customers were without power. At this time, the number remains in the hundreds.

"I thought it was a tornado," said Joanna Strunk, a Villas resident. "That's what I was telling to my mom. I think we're in a tornado right now."

When all was said and done, about a dozen homes were left with serious damage from fallen trees and downed power lines. Many  of the homes were in the Villas section of Lower Township.

PHOTOS: Wildwood Storm Damage

"I came down my street and I was like, 'Oh my God, the tree came down,'" Strunk said of the tree that fell onto her neighbors' roof. "So I called my neighbors and checked my house, thank God my house is okay."

Crews and neighbors alike chipped in to clear roads and yards.

RELATED: Full Severe Weather Details

"I just got home from work and saw my neighbors had some trees down," said Larry Ogden. "My tree fell down in my other neighbors yard, so I'm trying to get it cleaned up for them."

In another part of the county, a fallen tree busted the back window of a car at The Home Depot in Middle Township. Other downed trees littered the parking lot.

Everyone was grateful the damage was just property.

"I have a four-year-old little girl and I am just thankful that no one was here, nobody got hurt and we're all okay," Strunk said.

Instagram user Federica Piccitto, shared the following video on her account from the Wildwood Boardwalk.

Tweet your severe weather pictures and videos to us using #CBS3Storm

In:
• Jersey Shore