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EF2 tornado in Cattaraugus County, New York

Tornado July 24, 2010 · Cattaraugus County, New York

EF2
Rating
7.6 mi
Path length
800 yd
Path width
$7.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 800 yards (0.45 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A NWS survey confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down.

The wider storm

A tornado touched down in Randolph in Chautauqua County at 525 pm EDT. The initial touchdown occurred just south of Interstate 86 between exits 15 and 16. The tornado crossed Interstate 86 and damaged a gas station near exit 16'pulling the pumps out of the ground. The tornado continued across the Village of Randolph at its maximum size and intensity. The entire Village of Randolph lost power. About a dozen homes sustained significant structural damage in the village. The tornado continued for a total distance of about seven miles. Large trees were felled. Several automobiles were destroyed by falling trees. The final damage from the tornado appeared along County Rte 394 near exit 17 off I-86 in the town of Cold Spring. A NWS survey concluded an EF2 rating with winds estimated to 125 mph. The county emergency manager estimated damage at $7 million.

Began near Randolph Arpt (42.1606, -79.0162).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 254079. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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