EF2 tornado hits Brooklyn!

[Extremeweatherguy]

morning article about storm = http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/08/nyc.weather/index.html

article about tornado = http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_220172727.html

[Brent]

Possible tornado in Brooklyn!

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTER REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
1015 AM EDT WED AUG 8 2007

...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS INVESTIGATING POTENTIAL
TORNADIC STORM DAMAGE IN NEW YORK CITY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO
INVESTIGATE STORM DAMAGE IN THE BAY RIDGE BROOKLYN AND SURROUNDING
AREAS. THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH THE
NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. THE
METEOROLOGISTS NEED TO EXAMINE ALL DAMAGE...ASSESS THEIR FINDINGS
BEFORE A DETERMINATION CAN BE MADE.

ONCE THE ASSESSMENT IS COMPLETED...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND
NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL ANNOUNCE THEIR
FINDINGS TO THE MEDIA.

A DETAILS PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT ON THE FINDING WILL BE ISSUED
LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

[JonathanBelles]

WOW! how far from manhattan? What is the possible damage toll?

[SamSagnella]

http://blog.silive.com/advanceupdate/20 ... n_isl.html

Some of the pics on that page seem to indicate a convergent damage pattern, specifically the first one, in the Thomkinsville area of Staten Island. EF Scale damage indicator #27 (DoD4) indicates hardwood trees such as the ones pictured begin to be uprooted when winds enter the range of 76MPH-118MPH, with an 'expected' speed of 91MPH. Seeing that this event was preceeded by significant rains, I'd have to believe they were likely in the lower half of that range.

The caption on the snapped-tree photos says it was caused by lightning, but that definitely appears to be wind damage. Some of the pictures on the noon news broadcasts from the Bay Ridge area strongly suggest tornado damage; specifically in the 68th street area between 3rd and 4th I believe. There are some healthy looking trees that are both snapped and uprooted in that area, and even some roof damage (some partially/mostly removed!). Obviously the folks at the NWS will check everything out and assign the appropriate rating, but it's looking to me like an E-F2 tornado (though majority is E-F1) with max winds prob close to 125-130mph in Bay Ridge, skipped from NErn Staten Island into Brooklyn early this morning. The path width appears to be the majority of a city block wide in some spots.

If this is in fact what occurred, this would be the strongest tornado on record for the Richmond/Kings county area.

There are several additional areas that were impacted by what were clearly strong straight-line winds (all trees felled in the same direction), though I don't know specifically where they were located relative to the tornado damage. Standard storm evolution would probably put the strongest of the straight-line winds to the south and east of the tornado path, but, again, the damage survey will iron all that out.

Mayor Bloomberg's people estimate that damage may reach into the $10M range before all is said and done.

Viewer-submitted photos available at the follow sites:
http://www.cbs2ny.com
http://www.wnbc.com
http://www.wabc.com

I'm actually in CT right now (Fairfield County) so this was a relatively close call. Obviously I'm sorry about all the damage, but the storm chaser half of me (more like 9/10ths) is loving that this all went down on my birthday.

[Brent]

WOW! how far from manhattan? What is the possible damage toll?

About 5-6 miles south of the southern tip.

1 death from a car accident.

[southerngale]

I'm pretty sure tornadoes are rare for that area. Anyone know just how rare?

[SamSagnella]

According the the NCDC, Kings County (Brooklyn) hasn't had a tornado since records began in 1950.

[SamSagnella]

THIS IS NOT FROM THIS MORNING, but I thought it was relevant, or at the very least pretty interesting. One of my favorite weather images of all time, and among the best illustrations of the fact that New England does severe weather is this snapshot taken in July of 1976; note the Statue of Liberty on the left side.


http://www.erh.noaa.gov/okx/severewx.html

[JonathanBelles]

Why is there no storm report?

Also there is a Tornado Warning just to the west of Chicago now.

[SamSagnella]

It hasn't officially been confirmed yet. The folks at Upton are usually really good about keeping everything updated, so I'd expect the LSR to be up by sometime this evening for sure.

[DrewFL]

NWS: F2 Tornado Confirmed In Brooklyn
Twister First Ever To Strike Borough

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_220172727.html

[JonathanBelles]

F2? do you mean EF2?

[SamSagnella]

What's very interesting is that, for all the flak New England gets for 'not having tornadoes,' this is the seventh time since 1950 that significant tornadoes (EF2+) have struck somewhere in the NWS Upton CWA (the smallest, but most populous, in the country) at least twice in two consecutive years. (1950-51, 1955-56, 1970-71, 1973-74, 1988-89-90, 2006-07). And how many people here have weather radios?? Hopefully this myth will be put to bed with this event.

Had this happened just 30-60 minutes later, I'm convinced there would've been fatalities.

[Brent]

WOW... an EF2! They really dodged a bullet with this one, hitting during rush hour would have been a disaster.

[DrewFL]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTER REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
705 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2007

...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONFIRM EF-2 TORNADO IN
NEW YORK CITY TODAY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS ALONG WITH NEW YORK CITY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO SKIPPED
ALONG AN APPROXIMATE 9 MILE LONG PATH FROM STATEN ISLAND TO BROOKLYN
EARLY THIS MORNING.

THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN STATEN ISLAND AT APPROXIMATELY
6:22 AM IN THE VICINITY OF ST. AUSTINS PLACE IN THE LIVINGSTON -
RANDALL MANOR AREA. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST...WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE
OCCURRING IN THE TOMPKINSVILLE AREA. MOST OF THE DAMAGE IN STATEN
ISLAND WAS TO TREES...AND ESTIMATED TO BE EF-1...WITH WINDS OF 86 TO
100 MPH.

THE TORNADO HEADED EAST ACROSS THE VERRAZANO NARROWS...AND TOUCHED
DOWN AGAIN IN BROOKLYN AT BAY RIDGE. THIS OCCURRED SOMETIME JUST
AFTER 6:30 AM ON BAY RIDGE AVENUE BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH
AVENUES...AND CONTINUED ON AN EAST-NORTHEAST PATH ACROSS 68TH STREET
BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH AVENUES. ELEVEN HOMES IN THIS SECTION HAD
MODERATE TO SEVERE ROOF DAMAGE. THE STORM CONTINUED TO MOVE
EAST-NORTHEAST INTO LEIF ERICSON PARK SQUARE...WHERE SEVERE DAMAGE
TO TREES OCCURRED. AS THE TORNADO LIFTED...IT TORE OFF THE ROOF OF
THE NISSAN CAR DEALERSHIP AT THE CORNER OF 66TH STREET AND FIFTH
AVENUE. THE TORNADO RETURNED TO THE GROUND FARTHER NORTHEAST...WITH
SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE ALONG 6TH AVENUE. BASED ON THE ASSESSED
DAMAGE...THIS TORNADIC DAMAGE IS CLASSIFIED AS EF-2 WITH ESTIMATED
WIND SPEEDS OF 111 TO 135 MPH.

THE TORNADO RETURNED TO THE GROUND AS ANOTHER POCKET OF SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE OCCURRED ON 58TH STREET BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH AVENUES. THE
ROOF WAS RIPPED OFF OF 5 HOMES...AND TREE DAMAGE INDICATES STRONG
EF-1 DAMAGE.

THE TORNADO THEN HEADED EAST...AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN IN THE
FLATBUSH VICINITY AT APPROXIMATELY 6:40 AM. NUMEROUS
TREES...APPROXIMATELY 30...WERE UPROOTED ALONG OCEAN AVENUE BETWEEN
BEVERLEY ROAD AND CHURCH AVENUE. THE DAMAGE ALSO EXTENDED TO THE
WEST TO ARGYLE ROAD.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING FOR
PORTIONS OF STATEN ISLAND AND BROOKLYN AT 6:28 AM. A SECOND TORNADO
WARNING WAS ISSUED AT 6:50 AM FOR SECTIONS OF
BROOKLYN...QUEENS...AND NASSAU COUNTY.

$$

TONGUE/CRISTANTELLO

[Stephanie]

I'm pretty sure tornadoes are rare for that area. Anyone know just how rare?

EXTREMELY RARE - as Sam just pointed out.

Now I've heard EVERYTHING! OMG!!

fact - NYC consists of 5 counties, Staten Island, Manhatten, Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. Queens and Brooklyn are on the western most part of Long Island. Staten Island is right across from NJ, Bronx is in the southern most part of Upstate New York. Manhatten is an island that is surrounded by the other four - Staten Island to the west, Bronx to the east, Brooklyn and then Queens to the south and east.

I can't imagine what the people on the Verazzano Narrows bridge were thinking when they saw that sucker heading over them!

[angelwing]

It's been a heck of a day hasn't it worldwide??? Waiting for the other shoe to drop now

[Ptarmigan]

Crazy all I can say.

[MiamiensisWx]

Sam emphasized the region's vulnerability - more tornadic storms have affected the region than people realize. This event is the first EF2 tornado that was recorded post-1950 in Brooklyn, but its rarity likely should be considered an artificial anomaly. Many F-0 and F-1 tornadoes have been confirmed over the years - people overlook several New England events, too. Personally, the Worcester, Massachusetts tornado (1953) was a bona fide F-5 (as supported by damage to well-constructed buildings). It is time to denounce the myth that states, "New York and New England are safer locations - tornadoes don't strike the area." Additionally, we cannot forget recent tornadic waterspouts.

[HarlequinBoy]

I've never heard tornadoes do NOT strike New England, but it is true they are rarer there than in the Central and Southern US, so generally it is a safer place from tornadoes.

Anyways, I was really surprised when I heard this on the news. I did a double take at "tornado in Brooklyn."