Parts of central New Jersey saw widespread damage Tuesday afternoon following a powerful storm that prompted a tornado warning.

The National Weather Service has not yet confirmed if a tornado touched down in New Jersey. But the powerful storm uprooted large trees and left some New Jersey residents displaced.

Crews will be working through the night to restore power in areas of Lawrence Township and West Windsor, as the storm snapped utility poles like twigs.

“To get a call that trees were down - we didn't expect to find what we found when we got out here,” says Lawrence Police Chief Christopher Longo

The aftermath caused heavy traffic in the area during rush hour. The actual storm wreaked havoc in the afternoon as some were coming home from school.

A tree landed on a home on Quakerbridge Road. At Lawrence Square Village, up to 100 people were displaced. Almost 30 units are now unlivable.

Officials say that a record-warm January and a warm February helped set the stage for Tuesday’s events.

“It was a summer storm in February. A squall line came through,” says state climatologist David Robinson.

Experts say that this is rare. New Jersey has recorded four February tornadoes since 1950. Three were on the same day. If Tuesday’s storm is confirmed to have been a tornado, it would only be the third day.

"That would be three tornado days of February days in 73 years. That’s unusual,” Robinson says.

The National Weather Service will be doing a storm survey Wednesday and will post their report by 4 p.m.