Update: The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in Western New York on Monday.
The first tornado, an EF-0 tornadic waterspout, came on land on Grand Island at 4:33 p.m. near West River Road and Third Avenue. It lasted three minutes and traveled 1.2 miles with peak winds of 85 miles per hour. The tornado damaged some uprooted softwood trees along First Street and Second Avenue.
The second tornado, an EF-0, touched down in Pembroke at 8:32 p.m. along Route 77. The tornado lasted two minutes, traveled 0.2 miles and had peak winds of 75 miles per hour. It damaged trees at three homes near the Hamlet of Indian Falls.
Original: On Monday at 4:36 p.m. multiple trees and power lines were knocked down on Grand Island due to severe weather.
At 8:34 p.m. reports of a large tree branch down in Pembroke due to severe weather.
Was this damage from a tornado?
According to the National Weather Service when tornadoes occur, National Weather Service meteorologists are assigned the task of completing a thorough damage survey. A survey team’s mission is to gather data in order to reconstruct a tornado’s life cycle, including where it occurred, when and where it initially touched down and lifted (path length), its width, and its magnitude. It should also be mentioned that survey teams are occasionally tasked with determining whether damage may have been caused by straight line winds or a tornado and assessing the magnitude of straight line winds. With respect to tornado damage surveys, one of the most difficult tasks is assigning a rating to a tornado.
To determine the magnitude of the tornado, the survey team will attempt to find the worst damage since this is how the tornado will ultimately be rated. Once the worst damage is identified, the survey team will assign a damage indicator to the structure or object. There are 28 damage indicators, including one- or two-family residences, manufactured homes, motels, warehouses, schools, small retail buildings (e.g. fast food restaurants), and even trees. Each one of the damage indicators has a description of the typical construction for that category of indicator. For example, typical construction for one- and two-family residences includes asphalt shingles, tile, slate or metal roofing, attached single car garage, and brick veneer, wood panels, stucco, vinyl or metal siding.
The National Weather Service team will determine if a tornado occurred and we will update the story when the information comes out.
