Severe Thunderstorms May 15, 2018

Overview

Severe thunderstorms impacted portions of the Catskills, Mid-Hudson Valley, Taconics, and Litchfield Hills on the afternoon of May 15. The storms became intense around 2:30 pm with hail up to baseball size reported. In addition, an EF1 tornado occurred near Saugerties, NY. From about 3:30 to 5:00 pm, the main threat turned to wind as an intense squall line raced across Ulster, Dutchess, and Litchfield Counties producing widespread wind damage and gusts estimated at up to 105 mph. Another EF1 tornado occurred in Winsted, CT, and a tornado of unknown intensity occurred over Barkhamsted Reservoir in Connecticut.

Tornado
Macroburst
Photos & Video
Radar
Storm Reports
Environment

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Saugerties, NY
ULSTER/DUTCHESS COUNTIES

Date	May 15, 2018
Time (Local)	2:29-2:35 pm
EF Rating	1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	5 miles
Max Width	175 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: The tornado path started along Route 212 between Woodstock and Saugerties and moved east through the western and southern part of Saugerties before crossing the Hudson River and ending in Tivoli, NY, just south of the Clermont State Historic Site. The majority of the tornado damage was rated EF-0. The storm that produced the tornado also produced at least one microburst with winds up to 90 mph, which sheared and uprooted many large trees and sheared a few power poles. Most of the damage was indirect, from trees falling on homes, other structures and power lines.

Track Map

Tornado - Winsted, CT
LITCHFIELD COUNTY

Date	May 15, 2018
Time (Local)	3:44-3:46 pm
EF Rating	1
Est. Peak Winds	95 mph
Path Length	0.7 miles
Max Width	175 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: On Tuesday, May 15 there was an EF1 tornado on the northeast side of Winsted, CT. The tornado moved west to east across 8 city blocks, shearing trees, uprooting trees, and producing some minor structural damage to homes. Many homes and power lines were damaged by fallen trees. A member of the local community witnessed the tornado.

Track Map

Tornado - Barkhamsted Reservoir, CT
LITCHFIELD COUNTY

Date	May 15, 2018
Time (Local)	3:52 pm
EF Rating	Unknown
Est. Peak Winds	Unknown
Path Length	Unknown
Max Width	Unknown
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: The same thunderstorm traveled eastward over Barkhamsted Reservoir. Public video showed a tornado of unknown intensity over the reservoir. The damage survey team found no damage between Winsted and the reservoir. No damage was reported over the reservoir. National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605 requires a tornado spin-up over an inland lake that is not a marine zone to be assigned a rating of EFU. Unless a boat or an above-water-surface structure on the lake is damaged, or a buoy with an anemometer is within the path, a rating cannot be assigned. Barkhamsted Reservoir is not a marine zone.

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Macroburst

Macroburst - Dutchess County, NY

Date	May 15, 2018
Time (Local)	4:20 pm
Est. Peak Winds	105 mph
Path Length	8 miles
Max Width	3 miles
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A National Weather Service team determined that a macroburst occurred in southern Dutchess County, NY along the I-84 corridor roughly between Beacon/Wappingers Falls and East Fishkill/Hopewell Junction. The macroburst toppled/uprooted hundreds of trees. Some trees fell on structures. There was limited direct damage from wind to structures with a fallen chimney noted as well as some siding ripped off a few homes. The damage is consistent with wind speeds in the 85 to 105 mph range. For reference... A macroburst is a thunderstorm downdraft affecting an area at least 2.5 miles wide with peak winds lasting 5 to 20 minutes. The macroburst is a straight-line wind phenomena not associated with rotation...used to differentiate from tornadic winds. Macrobursts can produce as much if not more damage as tornadoes due to the size and scope of a macroburst.

Map of Surveyed Damage Swath

Photos & Video:

Header


Damage near Saugerties, NY (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Saugerties, NY (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Saugerties, NY (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Saugerties, NY (NWS Albany damage survey)


Damage near Winsted, CT (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Winsted, CT (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Winsted, CT (NWS Albany damage survey)	Damage near Winsted, CT (NWS Albany damage survey)

Radar:


KENX radar loop from approximately 1:40-5:30 pm	KENX radar loop from approximately 1:40-5:30 pm with NWS warnings	2:47 pm image from KENX radar. Reflectivity cross section of a storm that produced baseball sized hail in Columbia County, NY	3:44 pm image from KENX radar of the storm that produced the tornado near Winsted, CT. Reflectivity (left) and storm-relative velocity (right).