The National Weather Service is investigating the possibility of a tornado touching down last night in the Stanhope and Hopatcong area. Lenape Valley Regional High School sustained some damage and nearly 90 percent of Stanhope residents lost power. J.C.P. and L. reported a transformer exploded during the storm and a substation was out too. After midnight with power still out officials from the Borough of Stanhope were at Lenape Valley Regional High School trying to assess the damage. The high winds and possible tornado happened around 8:30 while a dinner for the track team was happening at the high school. Everyone in the school was evacuated to the gym. Then sent home by 10 o'clock. Confirmed damage at the school includes a tree falling on a car in the high school parking lot. A dugout at the school's softball field was flipped on it's side. At the entrance to the school there was damage as well. The National Weather Service did have a tornado warning in effect at the time the severe weather took place. According to J.C.P. and L's website about 2 Thousand customers in Sussex County are without power as of 5 this morning. The National Weather Service has not confirmed that it was a tornado that caused last night's damage. A confirmed tornado did touch down in Bucks County, Pennsylvania last night. No serious injuries were reported.
Source: NJ.COM