BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – An EF-1 tornado with winds up to 90 mph hit downtown Buffalo Monday afternoon less than half a mile from City Hall, damaging building and trees and causing the closure of several residential streets.
Videos and images posted on social media – as well as footage captured by Nexstar’s WIVB – showed a funnel cloud blowing through a portion of the city’s Lower West Side and downtown area just before 1 p.m. The National Weather Service officially confirmed the surprise tornado about 2 1/2 hours later.
No injuries were reported.
The NWS survey team said the tornado began at the shore of the Niagara River near the south end of LaSalle Park and the I-190/Niagara Street interchange. It continued inland for 1.4 miles, stretching to a width of 300 yards as it moved across Niagara Street and the Theatre District. The final damage was seen at the intersection of Tupper and Oak streets near the Rt. 33 off-ramp, where two cars were overturned and minor roof damage was visible.
The Ellicott Center nursing facility on Carolina Street sustained damage in the storm, and city officials said 35 of 120 residents will be displaced as a result. City Hall and Hutchinson Central Technical High School also had minor damage from the storm.
The city reported at least six street closures near the path of the tornado.
The storm also knocked out power to roughly 1,000 customers in the downtown area. Residents were urged to avoid any downed power lines they encounter.
Thunderstorms with possible hail and high winds were in the forecast Monday, but a tornado warning was never issued.
The WIVB Tower Cam captured a potential funnel cloud in the area at approximately 12:50 p.m.
Monday’s tornado continued a busy period for severe weather in Western New York. Last month, four tornadoes touched down on the same day as the remnant storms of Hurricane Beryl passed through the region.