Amidst the heavy rain and severe thunderstorms that swept through upstate New York this week, a tornado touched down in Cattaraugus County.
According to the National Weather Service Buffalo, a tornado touched down in central New York on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 31.
Rated an EF-1, the tornado had estimated peak winds of 107 mph and touched down southeast of Machias, Cattaraugus County, where it was on the ground for 1.4 miles, according to a report from the Weather Service. It had a maximum path width of 200 yards.
The twister touched down at 3:43 p.m. and was on the ground for roughly three minutes, according to the Weather Service.
The storm initially moved off Lake Erie and was traveling east on Tuesday. The twister touched down as severe thunderstorm warnings were underway throughout western and central New York.
Damage included uprooted trees, some of which snapped at various heights. A barn roof ripped off near near Roszyk Hill Road in Machias, according to the report.
What is a tornado watch?
A tornado watch is an alert issued by the National Weather Service. It means that tornadoes are possible in and near the “watch” area.
A tornado watch is issued by the Storm Prediction Center for counties where tornadoes may occur, and the watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or states.
If a tornado watch is issued in your area, the Weather Service says to be prepared and be ready to act quickly if the next level, a warning, is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.
What is a tornado warning?
A tornado warning is a more serious alert, indicating that a tornado is either happening or is about to happen, and you should take shelter immediately.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Tornado touches down in New York. See where it hit
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
