In a chilling reminder that severe weather systems can impact anywhere in the United States, the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado recently touched down in New York during a bout of storm activity upstate.
Southern Herkimer County, in the village of West Winfield, saw a violently rotating column of air set down within its borders on Saturday morning, June 22, at approximately 11:46 a.m. It reportedly began at the intersection of Meeting House Road and Marriot Road and progressed southeast before coming to an end at Route 51.
In its wake, the tornado obliterated a small shed and damaged a barn, as well as uprooting several trees that damaged two houses, officials say. According to the Enhanced Fujita scale, the tornado reached EF-1 in intensity, the second-lowest on the six-level scale, indicating "winds of 86 to 110 mph."