On Wednesday afternoon, a series of strong storms swept through western New York, resulting in the touchdown of not one, not two, but three tornadoes. These tornadoes were caused by the remnants of tropical cyclone Beryl that created a path of destruction in the region.
Within a span of two hours, three tornadoes hit three different communities in western New York. The first tornado touched down shortly after noon, while the third one struck the ground approximately 100 minutes later.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, the initial two tornadoes happened within a span of approximately 35 minutes. The first one hit Arkwright in Chautauqua County at 12:06 p.m., followed by the second one in Eden, Erie County, at 12:40 p.m. Later at 1:42 p.m., the third tornado touched down in Darien, Genesee County.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries or fatalities related to any of the twisters.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, the Arkwright tornado was the strongest of the three and stayed on the ground the longest. This tornado was rated as an EF-1, or weak, on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated winds of up to 110 mph, and traveled a distance of three miles.
The powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the area, causing significant damage to many trees and homes. The roofs of several houses were torn off, and walls of others were blown out. The tornado even managed to uproot or snap off an entire grove of hardwood trees with its ferocious winds.
In just a span of eight minutes, a tornado ripped through the towns of Arkwright and Hanover in Chautauqua County. The tornado had a path width of 150 yards and it moved in a northeast direction.
According to the Weather Service, the second tornado that occurred in Eden was rated as an EF-0, meaning it was weak, on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. It had winds that reached an estimated 85 mph and traveled almost 1 mile.
As the tornado swept through, it left a trail of destruction in its wake, causing severe damage to countless trees. Many of these trees were completely uprooted, with some even falling onto nearby buildings.
As it rampaged through Eden, the tornado left a trail of destruction that spanned 75 yards in width. For a harrowing four minutes, it wreaked havoc as it traveled northeast, beginning its rampage near the intersection of Jennings Road and Kickbush Gulf, and finally ending its path of destruction near Gary Drive and Sauer Road.
According to the Weather Service, the third tornado in Darien was classified as an EF-0, or weak, on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. It had winds that reached an estimated 75 mph and traveled a distance of 1 mile.
According to the Weather Service, the twister wreaked havoc for four minutes and left a trail of destruction approximately 50 feet wide. It caused damage to several trees in the vicinity before coming to a halt in the nearby Alexander, Genesee County.
On Wednesday, tornado watches and warnings were in effect throughout the Empire State as the remnants of tropical cyclone Beryl made its way through the region.
Tornadoes in New York: A history of twisters
This Article Includes
New York has had more than 500 tornadoes since 1950, with most of them being mild E-F0 and E-F1 twisters. Nonetheless, the state has also witnessed a handful of significant tornado events. One such disastrous tornado outbreak occurred on May 31, 1985, which resulted in several potent tornadoes, including an E-F4 in Chenango County.
Although not as frequent as in regions like the Midwest, tornadoes have been a significant and sometimes damaging part of New York’s weather history.
NY tornado database: See the state’s worst twisters in history
Since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been keeping track of tornadoes in New York, documenting their paths and impact for data purposes.
Explore the tornado data from January 1950 through an interactive map that provides comprehensive details, such as damage estimates and reports of injuries or fatalities caused by recent tornadoes.
As of now, the tornados that struck on Wednesday are not visible on the map. This is because the database only shows data up to the year 2023 and does not include any tornados from the year 2024.