5 Tornadoes Hit NY During Round Of Severe Storms, With 1 Fatality Reported

The time frame for the twisters on Tuesday afternoon, July 16, was from 3 p.m. to around 5:30 p.m.

Four of the five were rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the second-weakest of the six levels.

They were identified at:

• Canastota, Madison County - EF-1, from 3 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. Peak winds - 100 mph.
• Oxbow Lake, Hamilton County - EF- 1, from 4:29 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Peak winds - 100 mph.
• Wells, Hamilton County - EF-1, from 4:30 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. Peak winds - 100 mph.
• Great Sacandaga Lake, Saratoga County - EF-1, from 4:48 p.m. to 4:50 p.m., Peak winds - 110 mph.
• Chestertown, Warren County, NY - EF-0, from 5:22 p.m. to 5:23 p.m., Peak winds - 85 mph.

The fatality happened when the first twister touched down in Madison County, about 25 miles east of Syracuse.

An 82-year-old man succumbed to injuries sustained while he was outside as the tornado crossed Main Street in the village of Canastola, the National Weather Service said.

The twister had a path length of 1.42 miles and a max width of 100 yards.

Significant structure damage was reported after all five tornadoes.

More than 100,000 customers in central and upstate New York lost power on Tuesday, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency.

The EF scale classifies tornadoes into six categories:

• EF0 - Weak, winds of 65 to 85 mph
• EF1 - Weak, winds of 86 to 110 mph
• EF2 - Strong, winds of 111 to 135 mph
• EF3 - Strong, winds of 136 to 165 mph
• EF4 - Violent, winds. of 166 to 200 mph
• EF5 - Violent, winds of more than 200 mph

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