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Tornado May Have Touched Down In Hudson Valley During Round Of Severe Storms

An investigation is underway to determine if a tornado touched down in the Hudson Valley during a round of severe storms on Thursday, May 23.

A downed trees in Greenwood Lake during the height of the storm around 7:20 a.m. Thursday, May 23. 

A downed trees in Greenwood Lake during the height of the storm around 7:20 a.m. Thursday, May 23. 

Photo Credit: Rockland Video Productions/Mark Lieb
More damage from the storm in Greenwood Lake.

More damage from the storm in Greenwood Lake.

Photo Credit: Rockland Video Productions

The probe is focusing on the Orange County village of Greenwood Lake.

Starting at around 7:20 a.m., a total of 34 calls were received reporting various issues related to the storm such as downed trees and power lines, alarm activations, vehicle rescues, gas leaks, structural damage reports and other fire type call, according to Orange County Emergency Services.

The department said it is working with the National Weather Service to identify the exact type of weather event that occurred.

At about that time, Orange & Rockland Utility reported around 3,000 customers had lost power.

From around that time to late in the morning, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for many areas in New York, mainly downstate, as well as Connecticut.

Investigations into possible tornadoes typically are completed within 24 hours after the event.

The line of severe storms moved from west to east, bringing damaging winds,  drenching downpours, frequent lightning, and thunder.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) is used to determine tornado strength.

It's a rating system used to categorize tornadoes based on the severity of their damage and estimated wind speeds.

The EF scale classifies tornadoes into six categories:

  • EF0 - Weak, winds of 65 to 85 mph
  • EF1 - Weak, winds of 86 to 110 mph
  • EF2 - Strong, winds of 111 to 135 mph
  • EF3 - Strong, winds of 136 to 165 mph
  • EF4 - Violent, winds. of 166 to 200 mph
  • EF5 - Violent, winds of more than 200 mph

This continues to be a developing story. 

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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