A tornado reportedly made landfall near Olcott just before 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo confirmed that a water spout, reported on Lake Ontario near the village, had transitioned onto land and was being tracked. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said they received a report of a tornado crossing on property on Johnson Creek Road.
Sheriff Michael Filicetti said 911 dispatchers were being “flooded with calls reporting “trees down, lines down and property damage.” He said his office was not aware of widespread power outages, but that deputies were still responding to the influx of calls from the northeastern corner of the county.
A stormchaser posted video on social media of what he described as a tornado in Olcott. The video shows heavy rain and debris being swirled in the air.
Niagara Falls Police were responding to numerous calls of trees down in parts of the North End and Hyde Park.
Niagara County is under a Tornado Watch until 11 p.m. tonight.
The watch was issued at 4:40 p.m. by the Buffalo Office of the National Weather Service.
Niagara Falls and all of Niagara County are also under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 7 p.m. tonight.
The thunderstorm could produce wind gusts of up to 70 mph and “quarter-sized” hail. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Torrential rain could lead to flash flooding.
High winds could damage trees, mobile homes, roofs and small buildings.
Tornados can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If you spot one, the weather service advises you to seek shelter “in a basement or a small central room in a sturdy structure.”