NWS Confirms Extremely Rare February Tornado Touched down in New York

For the second time in New York's history, a tornado tore through the state during the month of February. This time, it happened in Broome County.

EF1 Tornado Touches Down in Broome County

Howling winds, torrential rains, and intense snowfall battered parts of New York State earlier last week, causing multiple power outages and reports of property damage. While some parts of the state, like Ticonderoga, reported wind gusts reaching over 70 mph, one area had it much worse.

In Broome County, the winds there did more than down trees and wires. The severity of the damage prompted the NWS in Binghamton to launch an investigation in .

It was later confirmed Saturday that the damage was caused by a tornado that touched down around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28:

A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Broome County, NY near Castle Creek, with estimated max wind speed of 100 mph. The tornado tracked 0.61 miles, with a width of 150 yards.

The track of the system was mainly contained around the area of Brooks Road. The tornado lasted for roughly 2 minutes, so it didn't show up on any radar until after it ended. Despite how short it was, it managed to cause extreme damage to the area.

How Much Damage the EF1 Tornado Caused in Chenango

Check out the image of the damage below, including a brick chimney that was snapped like a toothpick.

The strength of its winds caused barn fragments to snap off and become "missiles" that were "impaled into the ground."  The NWS also stated the tornado swept up 2 large hay wagons and threw them so hard, they broke into "pieces down the field."

Among the properties to sustain damage was the Castle Berries U-pick Blueberries Farm.

At the moment, there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities.

Winter Tornados in New York State

The NWS adds tornados in Februrary, let alone in winter, are extremely rare in New York, but not impossible. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the only other time New York witnessed a tornado during the month was in Cattaraugus County on February 24, 1975.

Looking back at data of tornadic activity in the state, there appeares have been no tornados reported in the months of December, January, and March.

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