A destructive tornado touched down in downtown Buffalo, New York, on Monday, causing damage to buildings and disrupting traffic. The EF-1 tornado, with maximum winds of 90 mph, became a land vortex at Interstate 190 and Niagara Street and ended near Tupper and Oak streets. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but several buildings were damaged, including traffic lights that lost power.
According to NOAA‘s Storm Prediction Center, Erie County was at a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather on Monday. Beginning Monday morning, a cold front moved into the area, bringing active weather, including thunderstorms. A Thunderstorm Warning and Marine Warnings were in place for Buffalo at the time, including the possibility of waterspouts.
The twister was a rare occurrence, as waterspouts are typically short-lived and form over the Great Lakes when cold air moves across warmer water.
Gleb Perov is the founder and chief meteorologist of POGODNIK, a leading weather forecasting service in Eastern Europe. With over 15 years of hands-on experience in meteorology and climate analysis, he has worked private weather services. Gleb is the author of numerous scientific and analytical publications on climate, magnetic storms, and atmospheric processes. He regularly collaborates with major international agencies such as NOAA, ECMWF.
