A violent supercell storm carved a destructive path through Ithaca on July 3, downing trees and electrical wires and leaving over 1,500 residents without power, according to the National Weather Service. Although a tornado warning was issued, meteorologists found no evidence of a touchdown.
The storm unleashed powerful rear flank downdrafts, with winds reaching up to 90 mph, stretching damage from Ithaca to northeast Pennsylvania. Local towns including Newfield, Enfield, and Danby reported widespread outages and fallen debris.
Crews worked overnight to repair more than 50 damaged power poles. A dramatic video captured by local photographer Cindy Massicci, later aired on national news, revealed the storm’s fury in the Ithaca skies.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].