Tornado Surprises Buffalo Residents, Leaves Damage in Its Wake

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A small tornado surprised everyone in Buffalo on Monday, causing significant damage to buildings, flipping cars, and sending debris swirling around the city. The tornado was spotted shortly before 1 p.m. and videos show the storm moving from Lake Erie into the downtown area, uprooting roofing materials along the way.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado started at the shore where Lake Erie flows into the Niagara River and traveled a path of about 1.4 miles. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference, “It surprised everyone.”

In the aftermath, the damage was evident with photos showing overturned cars, bent street signs, and fallen tree limbs blocking roads and sidewalks. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Officials reported that the tornado was preliminarily rated as an EF-1, with maximum wind speeds estimated at 90 mph based on the damage observed. Buildings lost roofing material, and several rooftop air conditioning units were knocked around.

Poloncarz mentioned that a nursing facility damaged during the tornado was considering moving its patients. Nearby, a school had its windows damaged, several traffic lights were malfunctioning, and various vehicles were overturned, according to Mayor Byron Brown.

This tornado marks the third one reported in Erie County within a month. Earlier in July, tornadoes were confirmed in the towns of Eden and West Falls, with two additional ones spotted in neighboring Genesee County.

Residents were taken aback by the tornado’s ferocity. Hawa Hamadi recounted her scary experience: “It was so crazy and the fact that I was out here and it lifted up my whole car.” She explained how debris swirled around her and her car before the storm calmed down just moments later.

Another resident, Craig Franklin, was checking on family and mentioned the changing weather patterns, saying, “The weather is definitely changing around us so just to be more prepared.”

Some people admitted they often overlooked tornado warnings, like Jesse Ellis, who stated, “Now, I’m going to be taking them seriously. It’s pretty scary.”

Fortunately, power outages affecting several local homes have mostly been resolved, with National Grid working quickly to restore electricity.