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EF1 tornado in Steuben County, New York

Tornado April 27, 2011 · Steuben County, New York

EF1
Rating
4.6 mi
Path length
150 yd
Path width
$150K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 150 yards (0.09 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF1 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF1 is moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken, consistent with estimated gusts of 86–110 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

The tornado first touched down on a hillside just west of Hough Road, in the town of Campbell. As the tornado topped the crest of the hill and descended towards Hough Road, dozens of trees were either snapped off or uprooted, in a swath about 150 yards wide. Included in this grove of trees were numerous large healthy hardwoods. As the tornado crossed Hough Road, it damaged two homes and a storage barn. The houses sustained mostly roof and siding damage, while the barn (actually bolted to a foundation) was moved off of its cement padding, with heavy damage to the roof and two of the walls, with its shingles blown westward back across Hough Road and into a field. A large camper was also blown cross-wise about 6 inches. Several large pine trees were uprooted on these properties, and facing northeastward. The tornado was estimated to be EF1 strength at this location.

Farther northeast, sporadic tree snaps and uproots were noted, until an area of heavier damage was once again seen near Tannery Road, just west of the Cohocton River. Once again, a swath of trees were either snapper or uprooted, just behind a residence southwest of Tannery Road. Again, many large healthy trees were included in this group, including some hardwoods, with a chaotic damage pattern noted. An EF1 rating was estimated at this location. The tornado appeared to have lifted for a brief time, with little damage noted to the residence itself.

A short distance further to the northeast, the storm crossed Interstate 86, just east of Exit 41. Several tree uproots and snaps occurred on either side of the highway, with two large trees uprooted in the highway median.

Just northeast of Interstate 86, along County Route 415, more large trees were either uprooted or snapped. One tree temporarily blocked Route 415, and another nearly hit several trailer homes in the Seager Court Trailer Park, and blocked entry to the complex.

The storm then continued northeastward and up a large ridge. Near the ridge top, at the corner of Rumsey Road and Dug Road, a large section of trees were heavily damaged (snapped or uprooted). The center line of the damage appeared to be along Dug Road, with the trees pointed mainly in a westerly direction along the north side of Dug Road, and in an easterly direction along the south side. This damage pattern implied convergent rotation, with an EF1 rating again given at this location.

Little or no damage was found farther to the northeast.

The wider storm

A significant severe weather outbreak developed across central New York as a storm system moved east from the Great Lakes. First, showers and thunderstorms developed early in the evening on the 27th, as an upper level disturbance approached the region. Two of the more significant storms included one supercell that produced a tornado in Steuben county, and a bowing line segment that caused tree and structural damage across Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties. Elsewhere across central New York, storms caused scattered wind damage and heavy rain.

After a brief break in the late evening, mini super cells developed overnight ahead of a cold front. Several tornadoes and severe thunderstorms developed between about 1:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., with many reports of damage. Most of the tornadoes were EF1 and EF2. Significant flash flooding also transpired during the overnight hours.

Began near Campbell (42.2100, -77.2000).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

5 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 303154. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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