Three tornadoes touch down in Western New York as Beryl remnants hit – blackouts in Houston continue

Three tornadoes struck Western New York on Wednesday as the remnants of Hurricane Beryl swept through the region, the National Weather Service confirmed.

The first tornado, an EF-1 with wind speeds up to 110 mph, hit Arkwright in Chautauqua County around 12:06 p.m. It carved a three-mile path, causing damage to trees and homes before dissipating in Hanover. The tornado reached a maximum width of 150 yards, accompanied by dramatic footage showing a roof being torn off a home in Arkwright.

The second tornado touched down in Eden at 12:40 p.m., classified as an EF-0 with winds up to 85 mph. Despite its lower intensity, it caused significant damage with fallen trees near Gary Drive and Sauer Road, prompting a State of Emergency declaration for the town. This tornado traveled 0.9 miles and had a maximum width of 75 yards.

An hour later, a third tornado hit Genesee County near Darien. Also an EF-0, it packed winds up to 75 mph and damaged trees along a one-mile path, reaching widths of up to 50 yards.

As of Wednesday evening, there were no reported fatalities from the severe weather, though a few minor injuries occurred. Over 25,000 power outages were reported in Erie County at the peak of the storms, but this number had decreased to a few thousand by the evening.

These tornadoes marked the first to hit Western New York since an EF-2 struck Wyoming County in 2022. They were part of a day that set a record for the National Weather Service’s Buffalo office, which issued 18 tornado warnings across the state.

The tornadoes were spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin. Beryl had previously affected Jamaica, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and parts of Texas before moving northeast across the United States, generating at least 37 confirmed tornadoes.

Severe thunderstorms and a risk of isolated tornadoes persisted throughout Wednesday, accompanied by strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall. Areas of Western New York were expected to receive 1-2 inches of rain, with localized flooding possible.

Despite a Tornado Watch being lifted in most of Western New York by late afternoon, it remained in effect for Allegany County until later in the evening. The NWS issued several updated Tornado Warnings during the day to alert residents to potential dangers.

The impact of Hurricane Beryl continued to be felt elsewhere, notably in Houston, where over a million customers remained without power due to the storm’s aftermath. CenterPoint Energy, responsible for restoring power, aimed to have significant numbers of customers back online by the end of the week, though challenges remained with extensive damage to electrical infrastructure.