News

Just in case you thought we were "embellishing" about Saturday's storm...

August 2, 2006

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
607 PM EDT TUE AUG 01 2006

...SMALL TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ONEIDA COUNTY NY...

ON SATURDAY JULY 29...A WEAK TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF UTICA AT 330 PM. THE TORNADO SNAPPED OR UPROOTED SEVERAL TREES IN A FIELD NEAR MORRIS ROAD IN MARCY TOWNSHIP. ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS WITH THIS F-0 TORNADO WERE ABOUT 60 MPH.

THE DAMAGE PATTERN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO INDICATED A ROTATIONAL WIND PATTERN... AS THE MAJORITY OF TREES FELL WITH A NORTHWESTERLY WIND... HOWEVER A FEW OF THE TREES FELL WITH A WESTERLY OR SOUTHEASTERLY WIND. A NEARBY WITNESS DESCRIBED STRONG... SWIRLING WINDS... WITH RAIN FALLING INTO HER HOUSE THROUGH HER WINDOW ON ONE SIDE OF HER HOUSE DURING THE ONSET OF THE STORM... AND THROUGH A WINDOW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HER HOUSE TOWARD THE END OF THE STORM. THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO IS ESTIMATED AT 50 YARDS... AND THE LENGTH IS ESTIMATED AT 200 YARDS.

This was the storm that continued a mere few miles eastward and hit us. It is also rumored to have produced another small tornado in Yorkville, another suburb of Utica. It hampered our attendance and caused a bit of misery, but it could have been worse.