Powerful thunderstorms Monday afternoon caused damage and knocked out power to thousands around New Jersey.

The storm brought about powerful winds and heavy rain and caused the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings in certain areas of the state.

The winds caused trees and powerlines to topple.

“I heard a crack and a crash and assumed a limb fell. I came upstairs and looked out the kitchen window and was missing a tree,” says Evan Kantor of Berkeley Heights.

That tree came crashing down around 11 a.m. The tree spanned across two yards, but no one was hurt.

“The deck actually saved most of the house,” says neighbor Jimmy Joseph. But the back end of the kitchen part was destroyed.”

A portion of Route 18 in East Brunswick was closed after strong winds caused two utility poles to be ripped from the ground near Highland Street. Winds in the area were set to be up to 60 mph.

Close to an inch of rain fell in Wall Township. The canopy of a Sunoco Gas Station blew over and collapsed onto the gas pumps in Egg Harbor. No one was hurt.

In Englewood, the branches of a tree fell onto a fence on Grand Street, causing damage. A tree fell onto a house on Cedar Street in Cresskill. No injuries were reported.

Over 16,000 utility customers in the state were without power at various times during the storm. Most customers were expected to see power restored by Tuesday morning.