883
NOUS41 KBGM 041802
PNSBGM
NYZ016-017-050615-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
202 PM EDT FRI SEP 4 2026
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 2 SENECA COUNTY TORNADOES AND HIGH
WIND EVENT ON WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2026...
WATERLOO-SENECA FALLS EF1 TORNADO AND INTENSE DOWNBURST
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.69 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 250 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 09/02/2026
START TIME: 08:21 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 NW PACKWOOD CORNERS / SENECA COUNTY / NY
START LAT/LON: 42.9216 / -76.9232
END DATE: 09/02/2026
END TIME: 08:32 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 1 NNW SENECA FALLS / SENECA COUNTY / NY
END LAT/LON: 42.9197 / -76.799
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO SENECA COUNTY WELL
AFTER SUNSET WEDNESDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 AND PRODUCED
BOTH INTENSE WINDS AND A PAIR OF EMBEDDED TORNADOES. THE SEVERE
LINE OF STORMS PUSHED OUT INTO A BOW ECHO OF DAMAGING WINDS, WITH
A BOOKEND VORTEX ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BOW SIGNATURE. AN
INITIAL TORNADO FORMED IN THE CENTER OF THE BROADER ROTATION OF
THE BOOKEND VORTEX, A FEW MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF WATERLOO. A
CHAOTIC PATTERN OF OPPOSITIONALLY-FACING DOWNED TREES AND
BRANCHES BECAME MORE EVIDENT BY THE TIME THE TORNADO CROSSED
HECKER ROAD, REACHING EF1 STRENGTH UP TO 95 MPH WHILE PROCEEDING
ACROSS MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY AND TRACKING INTO THE VILLAGE.
DESPITE THE TRACK CENTER ITSELF REMAINING NORTH OF US20,
INCLUDING SKIMMING THE SENECA COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING; INFLOW
WINDS TOWARDS THE TORNADO AND THEN INTENSE DOWNDRAFT WINDS BEHIND
IT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT WATERLOO INCLUDING
EVEN SOUTH OF THE SENECA RIVER. THE SEVERE DOWNBURST MEASURED 76 MPH
AT THE WATERLOO NY MESONET SITE, AND CONTINUED TO THE FINGER LAKES
REGIONAL AIRPORT WHERE HANGAR DAMAGE OCCURRED AND SMALL AIRCRAFT
WAS TURNED OVER. AS THESE WINDS RACED AHEAD, THE TORNADO
EVENTUALLY OCCLUDED AND WEAKENED WHILE PEELING EAST-
NORTHEAST INTO THE NORTH SIDE OF SENECA FALLS BEFORE ENDING.
MEANWHILE, AN EVEN STRONGER TORNADO SPUN UP ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH
OF THE FIRST ONE, WHICH TRACKED ACROSS MOST OF THE WIDTH OF
SENECA COUNTY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS SENECA COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING
PROVIDING DRONE IMAGES, AND INTERACTING WITH IMPACTED RESIDENTS
DURING THE SURVEY. MUCH GRATITUDE IS ALSO EXTENDED TO RESIDENTS
PROVIDING THEIR ACCOUNTS AND ALLOWING ACCESS TO DAMAGED AREAS.
TOWN OF FAYETTE EF2 TORNADO AND HIGH WINDS
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 115 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 7.76 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 09/02/2026
START TIME: 08:23 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 1 SSW ROSE HILL / SENECA COUNTY / NY
START LAT/LON: 42.8336 / -76.9132
END DATE: 09/02/2026
END TIME: 08:36 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 SSW CANOGA / SENECA COUNTY / NY
END LAT/LON: 42.8292 / -76.7627
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO SENECA COUNTY WELL
AFTER SUNSET WEDNESDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 AND PRODUCED
BOTH INTENSE WINDS AND A PAIR OF EMBEDDED TORNADOES.
IN THE VERY HIGHLY SHEARED AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT, A SECOND
TORNADIC CIRCULATION QUICKLY PICKED UP ROUGHLY 5 MILES SOUTH OF
THE FIRST ONE, AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED INTO AN EVEN STRONGER
TORNADO WITH NEARLY IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION TO A GARAGE AND SHEDS
OF A RESIDENCE ON POST ROAD. RADAR ITSELF SOON CONFIRMED DEBRIS
LOFTING AS HIGH AS 11,000 FEET AS THE TORNADO STRENGTHENED TO
EF2 WITH WINDS UP TO 115 MPH, TRACKING EAST ACROSS ALMOST THE
ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE TOWN OF FAYETTE.
DESPITE OCCURRING AFTER NIGHTFALL, THE NEARLY CONSTANT LIGHTNING
REVEALED THE FUNNEL TO MANY EYEWITNESSES AS IT APPROACHED.
SEVERAL BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED, LEVELED, OR EVEN
LOFTED WITH DAMAGE STREWN MANY HUNDREDS OF YARDS. PEAK INTENSITY
OCCURRED AT A FARM PROPERTY ALONG WATTS ROAD, WITH A HEIFER BARN
DESTROYED WHILE SENDING MISSILES OF DEBRIS IMPALING INTO A HOUSE
AND SMASHING WINDOWS. A LARGE SWIRLING PATH COULD BE FOUND
IMPRINTED IN CORNFIELDS BOTH WEST AND EAST OF THAT PROPERTY. THE
TORNADO NEARLY PARALLELED LEADER ROAD WHILE HEAVILY DAMAGING
ADDITIONAL FARMS AND SNAPPING NUMEROUS POWER POLES. THE TORNADO
WAS FINALLY OVERTAKEN BY THE SEVERE WINDS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND IT,
WEAKENING AS IT CROSSED SEYBOLT ROAD BEFORE ENDING. SEVERE
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS THEN CONTINUED ACROSS SENECA LAKE
INCLUDING THE UNION SPRINGS AREA OF CAYUGA COUNTY WHERE SCATTERED
DAMAGE OCCURRED.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS SENECA COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING INTERACTING
WITH IMPACTED RESIDENTS DURING THE SURVEY. MUCH GRATITUDE IS ALSO
EXTENDED TO RESIDENTS PROVIDING THEIR ACCOUNTS AND ALLOWING ACCESS
TO DAMAGED AREAS, ESPECIALLY AMISH AND MENNONITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS
HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE EF2 TORNADO. APPRECIATION ALSO GOES OUT TO
CAYUGA COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS ABOUT
SCATTERED WIND DAMAGE IN THE UNION SPRINGS AREA.
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 EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
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