Niagara County Emergency Services surveys tornado damage

Submitted by the Public Information Office

Niagara County Emergency Services Director Schultz and Deputy Fire Coordinator Dan Leven were on site in Olcott Thursday assisting the National Weather Service Buffalo with its damage survey following Wednesday evening’s severe weather.

The NWS has confirmed the Olcott tornado was an EF1, with estimated peak winds of 105 mph, a path length of approximately 0.67 miles, and a maximum width of approximately 70 yards beginning at 6:07 p.m. The survey documented significant tree damage beginning near Main Street and continuing south-southeast through the Great Lakes Seaway Trail and Krull Park, where numerous mature trees were snapped and uprooted.

Niagara County Emergency Services provided assistance and drone footage to help the NWS identify and document the most significant areas of damage.

“Damage was sustained to a handful of properties during the storm but, thankfully, there were no reported fatalities or injuries,” Niagara County Emergency Services Director Jon Schultz said. “We appreciate the efforts of all first responders during the storm, and want to recognize the great effort of Niagara County Parks staff who have been working diligently on the cleanup of Krull Park.”

The aerial photographs show the remarkable extent of the damage left behind by the tornado.

Niagara County Emergency Services thanks the National Weather Service Buffalo for its partnership and for its work in documenting this event and helping the community better understand the storm’s impact.

This photo shows a closer view of the swirl marks in the grass.

This photo is another photo of the swirl marks.

This photo shows more detail of the trees in Krull Park that were damaged by the tornado.

This photo is the area to east of the tree damage in Krull Park. You can see a few more trees down but no other significant damage.