EAST PALERMO, OSWEGO CO. -- The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes touched down in both Oswego County and the Mohawk Valley, after a twister caused minor damage in several rural upstate New York communities Monday.
The weather service out of Binghamton confirmed late Tuesday morning that a tornado touched down in a small area on Jackson Road in East Palermo, near County Route 4. Meteorologists say the ground damage is consistent with that of rotational winds and funnel clouds.
The tornado is said to have touched down in approximately a 150 yard wide area, and caused the destruction of a small barn and roof damage to a larger barn.
National Weather Service meteorologists also confirmed earlier Tuesday morning that a tornado touched down in Herkimer Monday afternoon, knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor property damage. CNY Central Meteorologist Matt Stevens says the maximum wind speed was 80 miles per hour and the path length was one mile.
Tornado warnings in central Oswego County got the attention of people living near Palermo Monday night, but so did the whipping sound that had some thinking a large truck was coming their way. Families in the area of County Route 4 and Bradford Road had a great vantage point to witness a funnel cloud that was described as 50 feet wide on the bottom and 100 feet wide on the top.
Carl Beck lives on County Route 4. When he saw the spinning motion he said, "my heart was racing." His family watched the cloud spinning metal in the air. Because the storm appeared to be heading away from the them they did not head to the basement for safety.
Tony Senecal's family did seek cover. They live on nearby Bradford Road. Tony described the shape of the funnel cloud as a "giant lariat". He said the whipping sound caught his attention. He found himself mesmerized by what he saw. His son Austin captured the tail end of the storm on video.
Both families say they did not see much actual damage in the area where the funnel cloud passed. It seemed to them the cloud wasn't always touching the ground and that may have spared the area from more severe damage.
In other weather-related news, police say two men had to be pulled from a river Monday night after their Jeep was swept away by the strong current. Sheriff's deputies in the Oneida County Town of Western say the men managed to get out of the vehicle and cling to a downed tree until being rescued by emergency crews.
The weather service also confirmed Monday that a tornado touched down late Sunday night in the Allegany County town of Willing, on the Pennsylvania border 75 miles south of Rochester. The twister remained on the ground for about five miles, toppling a barn and two smaller buildings and knocking down trees and power lines. No one was injured.
If you have any pictures of funnel clouds or wind damage, please send them to news@cnycentral.com or visit our MyCNYcentral page and upload them there.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
