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NWS: 'Downburst,' not tornado hit Columbia Co.
Jul 21, 2015 7:00 am
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Funnel cloud in the sky over Kinderhook, Sun., Jul. 19.
(From Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue Facebook page via the Daily Freeman.)[/caption]
Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting in the Daily Freeman the suspected tornado in Columbia County Sun., Jul. 19 wasn't one, the National Weather Service said Monday. A funnel cloud did appear in the sky, but because it did not touch down, it was not classified as a tornado. However, the storm packed winds that reached 85 to 90 mph and numerous trees and power lines came down as a result, the weather service said. The damage was caused by "a downburst from a thunderstorm...known as straight-wind damage," the National Weather Service in Albany reported. The funnel cloud was spotted in the town of Ghent at approximately 5 p.m., Sunday, and reports of wind and storm damage continued for 30 minutes. The most extensive damage was reported along Kinderhook Lake in Niverville, where the damage stretched for eight miles in a path 1.5 miles wide. There were no reported injuries. A spokesperson for New York State Electric and Gas said 1,100 customers lost power in Columbia County due to the storm, with the majority of outages reported in Chatham. According to the Columbia County 911 Facebook page, National Grid reported approximately 1,600 customers in Niverville, Kinderhook and Valatie were left without power on Sunday. Three poles were broken by the wind in Canaan, Ghent and East Chatham. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.
Funnel cloud in the sky over Kinderhook, Sun., Jul. 19.(From Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue Facebook page via the Daily Freeman.)[/caption]
Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting in the Daily Freeman the suspected tornado in Columbia County Sun., Jul. 19 wasn't one, the National Weather Service said Monday. A funnel cloud did appear in the sky, but because it did not touch down, it was not classified as a tornado. However, the storm packed winds that reached 85 to 90 mph and numerous trees and power lines came down as a result, the weather service said. The damage was caused by "a downburst from a thunderstorm...known as straight-wind damage," the National Weather Service in Albany reported. The funnel cloud was spotted in the town of Ghent at approximately 5 p.m., Sunday, and reports of wind and storm damage continued for 30 minutes. The most extensive damage was reported along Kinderhook Lake in Niverville, where the damage stretched for eight miles in a path 1.5 miles wide. There were no reported injuries. A spokesperson for New York State Electric and Gas said 1,100 customers lost power in Columbia County due to the storm, with the majority of outages reported in Chatham. According to the Columbia County 911 Facebook page, National Grid reported approximately 1,600 customers in Niverville, Kinderhook and Valatie were left without power on Sunday. Three poles were broken by the wind in Canaan, Ghent and East Chatham. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.