Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
744 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2017
...MULTIPLE TORNADOES CONFIRMED ON JULY 20 2017...
...TORNADOES CONFIRMED IN SOUTHERN ERIE COUNTY NEW YORK...
Location...Hamburg in Erie County New York
Date...July 20 2017
Estimated Time...1230 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF2
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...105 MPH
Maximum Path Width...700 yards
Path Length...5 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...42.75N / 78.81W
Ending lat/Lon...42.72N / 78.74W
* Fatalities...None
* Injuries...No direct
Location...Holland in Erie County New York
Date...July 20 2017
Estimated Time...1250 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF1
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...95 MPH
Maximum Path Width...500 yards
Path Length...2.5 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...42.65N / 78.56W
Ending lat/Lon...42.64N / 78.52W
* Fatalities...None
* Injuries...No direct
* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event(s) and publication in
NWS Storm Data.
...Summary...
The National Weather Service in Buffalo NY has confirmed a
thunderstorm moving across southern Erie County produced two
tornadoes.
The storm moved onshore from Lake Erie with damage beginning in
Hamburg before moving across Orchard Park. Windows of hundreds of
car windows were blown out at the Hamburg Fairgrounds where trees
were downed and several buildings including the Grandstand
sustained damage. The tornado continued across the Chestnut Ridge
Park and the Town of Orchard Park causing more structural and tree
damage.
About ten miles further down along the thunderstorm`s path, a
second tornado touched down in the Town of Holland. Several
structures were damaged with a significant amount of tree damage.
Roads were blocked and wires were downed. Tracks of the Norfolk
Southern Railway were blocked in several places by large downed
trees.
This information can also be found on our website at
weather.gov/buf.
For reference: the Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes
into the following categories:
EF0...Wind speeds 65 to 85 mph
EF1...Wind speeds 86 to 110 mph
EF2...Wind speeds 111 to 135 mph
EF3...Wind speeds 136 to 165 mph
EF4...Wind speeds 166 to 200 mph
EF5...Wind speeds greater than 200 mph
