Five Tornadoes Confirmed in New York From One Night of Storms
What a wild year it has been for tornadoes in New York.
And the number just keeps climbing.
After National Weather Service crews surveyed damage left behind by the powerful storms that swept across the state Wednesday, September 2, meteorologists have now confirmed five separate tornadoes touched down in New York in a matter of just a few hours.
Those latest confirmations push New York's tornado total for 2026 to 21.
Two Tornadoes Confirmed in Seneca County
Some of the most serious damage from the storms was found in Seneca County, where the National Weather Service confirmed not one, but two distinct tornado paths.
The strongest was an EF2 tornado with estimated winds of up to 115 mph. It began about a mile south of Rose Hill, just west of Route 96A, and traveled through the Town of Fayette before finally lifting nearly two miles south of Canoga Springs.
The tornado stayed on the ground for roughly seven miles.
A second tornado, rated an EF1 with winds up to 95 mph, began a few miles west-northwest of Waterloo before moving directly into the village. It continued toward Seneca Falls before weakening and lifting.
It Wasn't All Tornado Damage
Not everything that came down was caused by a tornado.
Severe downburst winds also tore through the area, knocking down trees between the two tornado tracks. A wind gust of 76 mph was measured at the Waterloo New York Mesonet site, about two miles south-southwest of Seneca Falls.
So, while some neighborhoods saw tornado damage, others were hit by incredibly powerful straight-line winds from the same storm system.
Three More Tornadoes Confirmed in Western New York
Seneca County wasn't alone.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo confirmed three more EF1 tornadoes from the same September 2 storm system.
An EF1 tornado near East Shelby in Orleans County touched down shortly before 6:45 PM, southeast of Medina. Winds were estimated at 105 mph as the tornado traveled about 1.2 miles, knocking down and snapping trees and causing minor structural damage to a home.
About 45 minutes later, another EF1 tornado developed east of Alexander in Genesee County. This one packed estimated peak winds of 110 mph and stayed on the ground for nearly four miles. Survey crews found snapped and uprooted trees and damage patterns in cornfields along the path.
There was also an EF1 tornado in Olcott in Niagara County. That tornado developed shortly after 6 PM, after a storm that had produced a waterspout over Lake Ontario moved onshore.
Winds were estimated at 105 mph, with significant tree damage reported around Main Street and Krull Park.
Five Tornadoes in a Few Hours Brings Total to 21
The latest confirmations bring the state's 2026 tornado count to 21, continuing an unusually active tornado year in New York.
READ MORE: Heartfelt Chalk Tribute in Clinton for Twins Lost in Tornado
- March 31: Machias, Cattaraugus County — EF-1
- April 15: Farmersville, Cattaraugus County — EF-0
- April 15: Machias, Cattaraugus County — EF-0
- May 29: Hammond, St. Lawrence County — EF-0
- June 18: Cortland, Cortland County — EF-0
- June 18: Rock Stream, Yates County — EF-1
- June 30: Croghan, Lewis County — EF-1
- June 30: Pittsfield, Otsego County — EF-1
- July 18: Sanford to Hancock, Broome/Delaware counties — EF-1
- July 21: Greene area, Chenango County — EF-1
- July 21: Second Greene/Coventry area tornado, Chenango County — EF-1
- July 21: Purchase, Westchester County — EF-0
- July 29: South Brookfield, Madison County — EF-0
- August 20: Atlantic Beach, Nassau County — EF-1
- August 27: Gansevoort/Ruggles Road, Saratoga County — EF-0
- August 27: Wilton/Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County — EF-1
- September 2: Fayette/Waterloo, Medina, Alexander, Olcott, Seneca /Niagara/Genesee— EF-2, EF-1
10 Costliest Tornadoes in US History
Gallery Credit: Kelso