Tornado Wrecks Havoc on Nine New York Homes

A tornado, featuring wind speeds up to 100 mph, struck New York on Wednesday, April 21. The tornado came in the wake of powerful thunderstorms. These thunderstorms progressed through the tri-state area Wednesday afternoon.

The EF-1 tornado hit just south of Amenia, located near the Connecticut border. The Dutchess County town felt the powerful effects of the anticipated tornado at 2:49 p.m. The National Weather Service in Albany reported that the tornado moved northeast through the town. The National Weather Service in Albany had issued a tornado warning that was scheduled for that time.

The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Powder House Road and Ohandley Drive. The tornado caused damage upon its landing. The vortex hit one home, which led to partial roof damage. The high winds also resulted in a 2×4 and tree branch blowing into one of the house’s exterior walls.

The tornado damaged nine homes in total. The National Weather Service reported that the tornado traveled just over half a mile in approximately two minutes. The tornado subsided at 2:51 p.m. During the period of those two minutes, it ended near the intersection of Mechanic Street and East Main Street in the same town. The winds also ripped off a restaurant’s roof before heading toward Litchfield County, Connecticut. The storm lessened to an EF-0 storm by that point, but still maintained strong, damaging winds.

Less damage resulted further south in and around the affected area. Certain areas across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut did still experience thunder. Hail also blasted down on parts of New York City, as well as heavy rain and lightning. More significant hail hit Manhattan as the storm approached. Brooklyn separately experienced what was described as “pea-sized hail.”