CONFIRMED EF2 TORNADO IN NY!

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

This is the best picture I've seen (courtesy of the Buffalo News) of the confirmed EF2 tornado that struck the small town of Mayville in Chautauqua county yesterday.

In this picture the tornado is actually passing over the water. This was NOT a waterspout however, as it originated on land and also came back on shore after this picture was taken.

Here's the summary from the NWS Buffalo office.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO NY HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO
NEAR TOWN OF CHAUTAUQUA IN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY NEW YORK ON JULY
25 2010.

AT APPROXIMATELY 440 PM EDT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE TOWN OF
CHAUTAUQUA. INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED NEAR THE CHAUTAUQUA GORGE
STATE FOREST. THE ALONG THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAMAGE PATH... THE
PRIMARY DAMAGE WAS DONE TO TREES. AS THE TORNADO NEARED MAYVILLE
SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCUR ED TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
SOME OF THE AFFECTED STREETS INCLUDED: MCKAY RD, MORRIS ST,
VALLEY ST AND ERIE STREET.

THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED CHAUTAUQUA LAKE. DURING THE AERIAL
SURVEY DEBRIS FROM THE STRUCTURES COULD BE SEEN FLOATING IN THE
LAKE.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED ACROSS THE LAKE INTO DEWITTVILLE WHERE IT
SEVERELY DAMAGED THREE CONDOMINIUM BUILDINGS AT THE CHAUTAUQUA
LAKE ESTATES. THIS WAS ALSO THE FINAL TOUCHDOWN OF THE TORNADO
ALTHOUGH DEBRIS WAS VISIBLE FOR ABOUT ANOTHER THREE QUARTERS OF A
MILE DOWNSTREAM.

THE GROUND SURVEY AND AERIAL SURVEY WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE AID
OF THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY OFFICIALS.