The end of summer brought heavy rains to the Hudson Valley, after one of the driest seasons ever on record. But while most of the Hudson Valley could see little to no rain on any given day, other parts of the state could be experiencing severe weather.

According to records, the state as a whole averaged around 10 tornadoes a year from 1990 to 2010. According to the Democrat and Chronicle, the state saw a total of 12 tornadoes in 2021. In November 2021, Long Island alone saw six tornadoes hit during a rare late fall storm event.

Tornado

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in the town of Wayland in Steuben County. LoHud says the storm hit the area Monday night at around 7:33 PM. The NWS says the tornado traveled around two miles, with wind speeds around 90 MPH. This would make it an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Tornadoes have been rated since 2007 by the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which measures the amount of damage a tornado causes.
The NWS says the tornado caused damage to structures and property, but there were no injuries.

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Tornadoes in the Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley wasn't totally without any storms this summer though. In July, an EF1 tornado briefly touched down in Ulster County, causing extensive damage and power outages. Around a week later an EF-U (unrated) was spotted over parts of the Hudson River, between Kingston and Port Ewen.

So, What's the Most Powerful Tornado to Ever hit NY? 

There have been three recorded F4s that have touched down in New York state, according to the Democrat and Chronicle. The first happened on August 28, 1973 in Columbia County over mostly open land, before moving into Massachusetts. Another F4 first touched down near Erie, Pennsylvania May 31, 1985, and then moved over the state line into New York. This was part of deadly outbreak of tornadoes that hit NY, PA, OH, and Ontario that same day.

The third was a nearly mile-wide tornado that touched down in Montgomery County on July 10, 1989. The storm would stay on the ground for 42 miles, traveling four counties (Greene, Montgomery, Schoharie, and Albany Counties).

You also have to consider that many of these weather records generally only go back to the late 1800s, so there is no telling how many storms hit before those times.

Graham Prentice
Graham Prentice
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Other Tornadoes of Note

  • EF-2 July 8, 2014, in Madison County killed 4 people.
  • EF-2 hit Brooklyn on August 8, 2007, causing heavy damage and would become the costliest tornado to ever hit New York City.
  • An F3 that traveled through Mechanicville, Stillwater, and then on to Vermont on May 31, 1998. Also, an F3 went through Binghamton that same day.
  • EF-2 Westchester County and Connecticut tornado July 6, 2006.
  • EF-2 Brooklyn tornado September 16, 2010
  • Two F3s - North of Syracuse May 2, 1983

KEEP READING: What to do after a tornado strikes

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