Tornado Is Possible This Week In Western New York

After a deadly tornado made its way through the Midwest this week, Buffalo may be the storm’s next target.

More than 12,000 people across Northwest Indiana lost power as a result of the storm that came through last week, and a total of sixteen tornadoes were “confirmed to have touched down across northern Illinois and northern Indiana” as strong storms continued through Friday. 

Now that the storms have cleared out of those areas, they may be headed for Western New York, but it won’t look the same.

The Storm Approaching Western New York

News 4 Meteorologist Mike Doyle shared a look at the weather map that shows the wind, tornado, and hail outlook for our area, and you can see those below. 

“Our main threat is damaging winds upwards of 58 mph or more,” Doyle said. “The tornado threat is low but not zero.”

The toughest day for weather appears to be Wednesday, according to Wake Up! meteorologist Mike Cejka.

There is a tornado potential to be aware of, though.

“TORNADO POTENTIAL WEDNESDAY-WEDNESDAY NIGHT...It's somewhat low, 5% risk, but it's not 0.  This will depend on whether severe weather forming to our west, maintains strength as it moves eastward.”

Tornadoes very rarely touch the ground in Western New York. According to USA.com, “a total of 11 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above [have been] found in or near Buffalo, NY.” 

How Do You Prepare For A Tornado?

You’ll want to seek refuge in a basement or an inside room without windows on the lowest floor possible, like a closet or a center hallway. Avoid sheltering in a room with windows if possible. 

For extra protection, try to get under something sturdy, like a heavy table. Cover your body with a blanket or sleeping bag.