364
NOUS41 KBUF 041943
PNSBUF
NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-050745-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
343 PM EDT FRI SEP 4 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2026 TORNADO EVENT
LETCHWORTH STATE PARK TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.25 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 130 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 09/02/2026
START TIME: 07:59 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 3 SSE CASTILE / LIVINGSTON COUNTY / NY
START LAT/LON: 42.5862 / -78.0354
END DATE: 09/02/2026
END TIME: 08:01 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 4 WSW NUNDA / LIVINGSTON COUNTY / NY
END LAT/LON: 42.5743 / -78.0174
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO COMPLETED A DAMAGE SURVEY
ACROSS SOUTHWEST LIVINGSTON COUNTY TODAY IN RESPONSE TO REPORTS
OF CONCENTRATED AREAS OF DAMAGE NEAR PORTAGEVILLE AND THE SOUTHERN
END OF LETCHWORTH STATE PARK FROM THUNDERSTORMS ON THE EVENING OF
SEPTEMBER 2ND. A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE
AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS, PRODUCING AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM
WIND DAMAGE. SEVERAL SMALL, BRIEF AREAS OF ROTATION DEVELOPED
ALONG THE LINE AND PRODUCED THIS BRIEF SQUALL LINE TORNADO AROUND
8 PM EDT.
THE FIRST INSTANCE OF DAMAGE WAS ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE GORGE
IN LETCHWORTH STATE PARK ALONG THE EAST PARADE GROUNDS RD IN THE
TOWN OF PORTAGE. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE IN THIS AREA,
WITH DOZENS OF LARGE HARDWOODS SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. A CLUSTER OF
A HALF DOZEN LARGE AND VERY TALL LOCUST TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AT
THE TRUNK, WITH SEVERAL FALLING ON A LARGE PARK PAVILION. THE
STRUCTURE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM THE FALLING TREES.
FARTHER SOUTHEAST ALONG EAST PARADE GROUNDS RD, SEVERAL DOZEN
HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED, WITH TREE
DAMAGE IN THIS AREA SHOWING A CONVERGENT PATH. THE FINAL DAMAGE
LOCATION WAS ALONG RIVER RD JUST NORTHEAST OF ROUTE 436, WITH
ANOTHER CLUSTER OF A DOZEN HARDWOOD TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED AT
THE TRUNK. TREE DAMAGE IN THIS AREA SHOWED A CLEARLY CONVERGENT
AND ROTATIONAL DAMAGE PATH. THE PATH OF DAMAGE ENDED IN A FORESTED
AREA JUST NORTH OF ROUTE 436.
THIS TORNADO WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ANOTHER TORNADO JUST OVER
THE GENESEE RIVER IN WYOMING COUNTY. RADAR DATA AND THE DAMAGE
PATHS SUGGEST THESE WERE TWO SEPARATE, DISTINCT TORNADO DAMAGE
PATHS WITH A DIFFERENT PATH ORIENTATION.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXTENDS ITS THANKS TO LIVINGSTON
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR PROVIDING THE LOCATION OF THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, AND FOR PROVIDING AN ESCORT THROUGH THE
HEAVILY DAMAGED EAST SIDE OF LETCHWORTH STATE PARK.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
EF0.....65 TO 85 MPH
EF1.....86 TO 110 MPH
EF2.....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3.....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4.....166 TO 200 MPH
EF5.....>200 MPH
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
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