Niagara County Emergency Services Director Schultz and Deputy Fire Coordinator Dan Leven were on site in Olcott on Thursday assisting the National Weather Service Buffalo with its damage survey following Wednesday evening’s severe weather.
The National Weather Service 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. Wednesday night. 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 National Weather Service 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,” 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.”
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 their partnership and for their work in documenting this event and helping our community better understand the storm’s impact.