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Fire chief reflects on tornado that ravaged South Jersey town on anniversary of Ida
A local fire chief reflects on his memories a year after the remnants of Hurricane Ida spawned a tornado that devastated a South Jersey community.
HARRISON TWP, N.J. - Harrison Township Fire Chief Matthew Cardile remembers exactly where he was when the powerful remnants of Hurricane Ida put his town in the crosshairs of a EF-3 tornado.
"I never thought in 28 years of doing this business that I would see something like this," Cardile told FOX 29's Jennifer Joyce. "This is like something you see in the movies."
Cardile captured the devastating scene from afar, recording the twister with 150 MPH winds and heavy rain as it bowled over a quiet community in Mullica Hill.
He and other first responders immediately jumped into action to help victims who bore the brunt of the damage.
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Communities still recovering a year after remnants of Hurricane Ida decimated region
The remnants of Hurricane Ida plowed over the Delaware Valley in late August of 2021. A year later, those who live in areas hit the hardest are still picking up the pieces from the life changing storms.
"We saw the first house on Josephine Drive that was damaged, completely devastated to the ground," Cardile recalled. "When I turned the corner in that development and saw what I saw, I took a deep breath and was like ‘OK, it’s time'."
Homes that once stood tall and thoughtfully spaced out were ripped apart and scattered throughout the development. All told, more than 100 homes were damaged and 39 were considered total losses across Harrison Township.
Remembering Hurricane Ida: Communities still working to recover one year after Category 4 storm
Thursday marks one year since Category 4 Hurricane Ida caused devastation and damage throughout the Delaware Valley as it moved across the East Coast. One South Jersey community is still working to rebuild as dozens of families remain displaced.
A year later, some families continue to rebuild, and the emotional wounds are still raw. Harrison Township Mayor Lou Manzo says many of the families whose homes were declared unliveable are still not back as demolitions and construction continue.
"People in this community are forever changed," Cardile said. "It put things into perspective, unfortunately devastation does that, for me, I definitely hugged my kids a little tighter."