Event Summary

A warm front in conjunction with strong upper level winds produced numerous severe thunderstorms, including tornadic cells, across the New York City Metropolitan Area. Trees were downed on Innis Street and Port Richmond High School. Trees were downed on cars. A tree was downed on a house. A tree fell through the roof of a home in New Brighton. Numerous trees were downed on Staten Island. Numerous trees and wires were downed. A deliveryman was injured at 7th Avenue and 9th Street as plate-glass windows were blown out of the Brooklyn Industries Store. A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed a tornado near Park Slope in Brooklyn. In the northern portion of Prospect Park, there were signs of tree damage that converged towards a well-defined narrow path. Tree tops were twisted and sheared off. The location of the tornado was bounded by Prospect Park on the west, Flatbush Avenue on the east and Subway Grand Army Plaza to the north. The tornado formed just southwest of the Brooklyn Public Library and lifted around 2 miles northeast of Park Slope. A trained spotter estimated 60 mph winds. The public estimated 70 mph winds. A 66 mph wind gust was recorded at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. A large tree was downed on a car. A National Weather Service Storm Survey verified the occurrence of a macroburst in Queens. The path extended from Middle Village east across Forest Hills. In Forest Hills, at MacDonald Park, a field of trees were sheared off which completely demolished the park. Many whole trees and large branches were downed in a divergent pattern. This was a clear signature of macroburst wind damage. The area of the macroburst was bounded by Queens Boulevard and 69th Road to the northeast near the intersection of Yellowstone Boulevard. Just southwest of the Long Island Expressway along 63rd Avenue and near the intersections of Reeves Avenue and 146th Street, many huge healthy 36 inch diameter trees fell in nearly the same direction in narrow roads. Downed trees destroyed many cars and made entries to houses impassable. Widespread tree damage made many secondary and tertiary roads impassable. Many whole trees and large branches were downed near Queens College, along Dartmouth Street and in Forest Hills Garden, and along Park Drive East in Kew Garden Hills. Trees were downed near Crown Heights. A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed a tornado in Queens. The tornado impacted Flushing and Bayside. In Flushing, on Browne Street between Roosevelt and 38th Avenues, the third floor of a residential brick building was severely damaged structurally. Large tree tops were lying on top of buildings and shot like projectiles between buildings. Sides of houses were peeled back. There was clear evidence of twisted metal along the side of the building. On Warren Street near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue, a steel framed water tower was blown over on the roof. There was a partial roof collapse on another residential building. A Pennsylvania woman was killed in her car by a falling tree on Grand Central Parkway. Her passenger was injured. A man trying to assist the woman suffered a brain aneurysm and died. The tornado touched down around 2.5 miles south of Flushing and lifted 1 mile northeast of Bayside over Little Neck Bay. Trees were down on 75th Street and 37th Avenue, partially blocking the road. Large tree limbs were downed on power lines. Multiple large trees and wires were downed with several roads blocked. Multiple trees were also downed on houses. The siding of a church was torn off. Trees were downed on Metropolitan Avenue. A garage complex in the Joyce Garden Co-op collapsed with multiple cars inside. An 80 foot tree was downed on a house. A roof was blown off of a building and into another building on Burns Street. Parts of some roofs were torn off in Fresh Meadows. A tree limb measuring 1.5 inches in diameter and 50 feet in length was downed on 163rd Street and 29th Avenue