New York Has Now Seen 9 Tornadoes This Year
It's been one storm after another this summer, and now New York has reached another unfortunate milestone.
The National Weather Service has confirmed the state's ninth tornado of 2026 after Saturday's severe weather, and it wasn't the only damaging event.
Survey teams also confirmed powerful microbursts that left behind widespread damage in parts of Central New York and the Southern Tier.
EF-1 Tornado Tracked Nearly 16 Miles
The tornado touched down just south of Sanford in Broome County around 6:12 PM on Saturday, July 18, and stayed on the ground for nearly 16 miles before lifting near Hancock in Delaware County about 20 minutes later.
Rated an EF-1, the tornado packed winds up to 95 mph. Along its path, trees were snapped and uprooted, power lines were knocked down, an old barn was damaged, and one gazebo was literally picked up and dropped into a pond.
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A tree also crashed onto a vehicle, and a home's metal skirting was ripped away by the wind.
As the tornado reached Hancock, it strengthened again, causing significant tree damage near the Hancock Golf Course along with damage to porches and outbuildings before finally dissipating.
105 MPH Microburst Near Hancock
The same storm didn't stop there.
About a mile and a half northwest of Rock Valley, the National Weather Service confirmed a powerful microburst with estimated winds of 105 mph.
The burst of straight-line winds carved a path about seven-tenths of a mile long, snapping and uprooting countless trees.
Norwich Also Hit Hard
Earlier that afternoon, another microburst slammed into Norwich between 3:49 and 3:51 PM.
Wind speeds there were estimated between 80 and 90 mph as the storm swept across the city.
Numerous trees came down, and several homes, buildings, and vehicles suffered damage before the storm weakened east of the city.
It's Been An Active Year For Tornadoes
This latest tornado is now the ninth confirmed tornado in New York this year.
The season began with an EF-1 tornado in Cattaraugus County on March 31. Two more tornadoes touched down there on April 15, followed by another near Hammond on April 29.
June brought additional tornadoes to Cortland, Yates, Otsego and Lewis counties before this latest EF-1 in Broome and Delaware counties.
The good news is that despite all the damage from Saturday's storms, there were no reported injuries or fatalities.
Still, after everything we've seen this summer, it's a reminder that when severe weather warnings are issued, it's worth taking them seriously.
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams
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