Severe weather
Funnel cloud near Oldmans Township, NJ, under Tornado Watch until 7 PM ET Thursday
By Ryan Hall, Y'all Weather Desk ยท Published
Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data.
Key points
- Where: Oldmans Township, NJ, south of the Philadelphia area. The Tornado Watch covers the surrounding region.
- When: The video was posted at 2:02 PM ET Thursday. The watch runs until 7 PM ET.
- What: A well-formed funnel cloud. We can't see it touching the ground in the video.
- What it means: Isolated rotating storms are possible this afternoon from eastern Pennsylvania across central New Jersey into northern Delaware. Tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 13, no severe storms are expected.
A funnel cloud was spotted near Oldmans Township in South Jersey around 2 PM ET Thursday, Nov. 12. The area is inside a Tornado Watch that runs until 7 PM ET. No Tornado Warning was in force at the time and no tornado had been reported, but a Level 2 of 5 (Slight Risk) for severe storms covers the region this afternoon.
What the video shows
Matt DeAngelis shot this 15-second phone video near Oldmans Township and posted it at 2:02 PM ET. He wrote that a tornado was on the ground and that he was streaming live. Credit to him for the footage.
What we can see is a well-formed funnel hanging from the storm. Fences and trees block the bottom of it, so we can't confirm it reached the ground. Until the National Weather Service confirms a tornado, we're calling it a funnel cloud, which is a rotating lowering under a storm.
When we checked, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning covered New Castle County in Delaware and Gloucester and Salem counties in New Jersey, including Oldmans, until 2:15 PM ET. There was no Tornado Warning and no tornado reports. That can change fast, so check every active warning and live storm reports for the latest.
Why this storm had a shot at spinning
A low-pressure center is expected to move east across New Jersey today, pushed along by a strong disturbance aloft. The zone near that low and along the warm front stretching east from it is where storms are getting a lift. The winds also change speed and direction quickly with height, and that twist is what helps storms rotate.
Storm fuel is modest. Forecast values run about 500 to 900 J/kg of CAPE, which is not much by summer standards. Even so, the twist in the winds is enough for a few isolated rotating storms.
The Storm Prediction Center has a Level 2 of 5 (Slight Risk) up for eastern Pennsylvania, central New Jersey and northern Delaware. About 8.8 million people live in that zone, including Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington and Middletown, New Jersey. The odds inside it:
- Tornado: 5% chance, so a few are possible.
- Hail: 15% chance of quarter-size or larger hail. Hail is the main concern with any storm that holds its rotation.
- Wind: 5% chance of gusts of 60 mph or more.
A wider Level 1 area reaches to New York City, Newark and Dover. The zone is small, so most places in it won't see a severe storm. The next outlook update is due around 3 PM ET.
Heavy rain adds a second problem
Flash flooding is possible too. A Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) risk covers parts of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Don't drive through water over the road.
What to do
- Stay near a sturdy building through 7 PM ET if you're in the watch area, and know which interior room you'd go to.
- If a Tornado Warning is issued for your location, go to the lowest floor, away from windows. Don't wait to see a funnel.
- Keep your phone charged and alerts on. You can sign up for free Y'all Alerts.
- If you're driving, stay away from big trucks and tall trees on the shoulder if gusts pick up, and turn around if water covers the road.
- If you spot a funnel or damage, report it only when it's safe to do so.
Bottom line
A well-formed funnel cloud near Oldmans Township, with no confirmed tornado, is a good reason to take the Tornado Watch seriously until 7 PM ET. The risk is a Level 2 of 5, and the Tornado Watch runs until 7 PM ET.
Explained: Watch vs. warning: what PDS watches and emergencies mean
More on Mid-Atlantic severe weather, November 2026
Places in this story: Oldmans Township, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Newark, NJ; Middletown, NJ