Two more tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down Wednesday evening in Western New York, bringing the total number of tornadoes in Western and Central New York from the storm to seven, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest two tornadoes were both rated EF1 and touched down around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, near the southern end of Letchworth State Park and the park's border.
Although the two tornadoes were close to one another, meteorologists said the damage paths indicate they were "two separate, distinct tornado damage paths with a different path orientation."
So far this year, 23 confirmed tornadoes have touched down in New York, according to the National Weather Service. Seven of those tornadoes occurred Sept. 2.
A record
32 tornadoes touched down in New York in 2024, including two EF2 tornadoes, according to the Weather Service. Other particularly active tornado years were 1992 and 1998, when 25 and 23 tornadoes were recorded, respectively. With 23 tornadoes confirmed so far in 2026, this year ranks among New York's most active tornado years on record.
Two tornadoes confirmed at Letchworth
Letchworth State Park spans about 14,350 acres across Livingston and Wyoming counties. The Genesee River runs through the park's 550-foot-deep gorge, and the park is home to three major waterfalls. It is often called the "Grand Canyon of the East."
The two tornadoes were confirmed near the southern end of the park:
- One tornado touched down at 7:59 p.m. in Castile and traveled 1.25 miles in about one minute, according to the Weather Service. It had estimated peak winds of 110 mph.
- A second tornado touched down at 8 p.m. and traveled 1.22 miles during the two minutes it was on the ground. It had estimated peak winds of 105 mph.
Tornado damage at Letchworth
Weather Service surveyors reported severe damage on the eastern side of the gorge near East Parade Grounds Road, a hilly gravel service road.
The damage included dozens of large hardwood trees that were snapped or uprooted in several areas. A cluster of about six large locust trees was snapped at the trunk, with several falling onto a large park pavilion that sustained significant damage, according to the report.
Significant tree damage also was reported in Genesee Falls and near the Portageville entrance to the park. Numerous large trees were uprooted or snapped at the trunk, including on the slope between Park Road and the Genesee River.
Five other tornadoes confirmed Sept. 2
Five other tornadoes touched down Wednesday, including four EF1 tornadoes and one EF2:
- Olcott in Niagara County (EF1)
- Shelby in Orleans County (EF1)
- Alexander in Genesee County (EF1)
- Waterloo in Seneca County (EF1)
- Fayette in Seneca County (EF2)
NWS releases details on Seneca County tornadoes
According to a preliminary report, surveyors confirmed "2 distinct tornado paths" near one another in Seneca County. The Weather Service released additional preliminary details Friday.
- The Waterloo tornado touched down at 8:21 p.m. just west of Waterloo and traveled west for 6.69 miles in nine minutes. The EF1 tornado had peak winds of 95 mph. Damage included numerous damaged and uprooted trees in Waterloo, as well as a damaged hangar and overturned aircraft at Finger Lakes Regional Airport, according to the Weather Service.
- The stronger tornado, an EF2, touched down at 8:23 p.m. in the town of Fayette near Route 96A and traveled south for 7.76 miles to Canoga Springs during the 13 minutes it was on the ground. It had peak winds of 115 mph. Several barns were severely damaged, with debris scattered across 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," the Weather Service team reported.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 7 tornadoes struck NY in one day. See where they hit
