It was NOT a tornado that damaged a barn in Seneca County last week. The National Weather Service’s Survey team confirmed it was a microburst that occurred just before 4 last Wednesday afternoon with peak winds estimated at 80 miles per hour.
The team’s report stated, “A core of a supercell thunderstorm moved over this location creating strong, damaging microburst winds. The strongest rotational core moved south of this location with eyewitnesses reporting a funnel cloud moving over nearby Cayuga Lake. The most intense damage observed was to a cattle barn, where the roof and wall structure were lofted approximately 250 feet eastward; maximum wind speeds were estimated here at 80 mph. Surrounding damage included numerous large tree branches snapped and a few uprooted trees.”
