Just days after a weekend of violent weather, another round of severe storms slammed New York City and the Tri-State area Tuesday, bringing torrential downpours, flash flooding, damaging winds, and the threat of tornadoes. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches and warnings that have since expired as the worst conditions pushed offshore.
New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm. In Stanhope, a possible tornado was spotted, and a video posted to social media showed a funnel cloud touching down at a golf center in Parsippany, roughly a mile north of the Troy Hills area. The NWS plans to survey both locations Wednesday to determine if tornadoes actually occurred.
Tornado warnings had been issued for Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Somerset, and Morris counties in New Jersey, with cities like Fair Lawn, Paterson, and Wayne under immediate threat. The broader watch area included all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Rockland, Westchester, and Nassau counties in New York, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
Officials reminded residents of basic safety steps when tornado warnings are active: avoid windows, head to the lowest level of your home or an interior bathroom or hallway, and stay low with your head covered.
While Wednesday’s storms are expected to be less severe, the NWS has placed New York City and much of the Tri-State area under a marginal risk (1 out of 5) for severe thunderstorms. The primary threat is damaging winds. Tuesday’s AccuWeather Alert highlighted the potential for heavy rain, damaging winds, flooding, and an isolated tornado, and the region remains on edge as cleanup continues.