A destructive severe thunderstorm tore through Seneca Falls and Waterloo on Wednesday night, toppling trees and utility lines, flooding roads and basements, and knocking out power to thousands across northern Seneca County.
The National Weather Service recorded a preliminary 76 mph wind gust at 8:40 p.m. at the Waterloo NYS Mesonet station, about 2 miles south-southwest of Seneca Falls. No tornado had been confirmed as of late Wednesday, and early indications were that straight-line winds caused most of the widespread damage.
As of 5 a.m. Thursday, substantial storm debris remained on roads across Seneca County. A no unnecessary travel advisory remained in effect for the northern part of the county, and officials urged motorists to stay off affected roads so first responders, highway crews and utility workers could continue cleanup safely.
In a Thursday morning update, Seneca Falls police confirmed that the advisory had not been lifted. Residents were asked to obey every road-closure sign and barricade as emergency and utility crews continued clearing debris and restoring service.
The Town of Seneca Falls Police Department said portions of the community were hit especially hard. Numerous trees, poles and wires were down, while flooding was reported in several areas.
Police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel were moving through the town Wednesday night to assess damage and assist residents. Dispatchers were prioritizing a high volume of calls as crews worked to reach affected areas safely.
Storm carried a tornado warning
The Weather Service first issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 8:05 p.m. for Seneca, Yates and Cayuga counties and northern Steuben County. That warning said the advancing line of storms could produce wind gusts up to 70 mph and quarter-size hail.
A tornado warning followed at 8:18 p.m. for northwestern Seneca and northwestern Cayuga counties. Forecasters said radar showed rotation in a storm near Phelps and Geneva that was moving east at about 30 mph, placing Seneca Falls and Waterloo in its projected path within minutes.
In a later update, the Weather Service described the system as a severe squall line capable of producing tornadoes and extensive straight-line wind damage. The warning was radar-based, and officials had not confirmed that a tornado touched down.
The difference will require a damage assessment. Until that review is completed, the 76 mph measured gust and the broad pattern of fallen trees and wires point to destructive thunderstorm winds as the primary cause of damage.
Trees, outages and flooded basements reported
Reports received by FingerLakes1 described extensive tree damage across the Seneca Falls and Waterloo area, with blocked or partially blocked roads in multiple locations. Utility damage left thousands of customers without electricity Wednesday night.
NYSEG and RG&E said in a 9:30 p.m. update that more than 38,000 customers across their service areas had power interrupted by the storms. More than 9,700 of those customers were in NYSEG’s Geneva Division, which includes Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties.
The utilities said about 21,000 RG&E customers were affected, primarily in the company’s Central Division covering Monroe and Orleans counties. NYSEG’s Lancaster and Hornell divisions were also affected, and crews planned to continue restoration work until every customer had power restored.
At 7:57 a.m. Thursday, NYSEG listed 5,216 customers without power in Seneca County. Waterloo village remained the hardest-hit municipality, with 2,294 of the utility’s 2,301 customers there without service.
NYSEG also listed 980 customers without power in the town of Fayette, 839 in the town of Waterloo, 708 in the town of Seneca Falls and 83 in the village of Seneca Falls. Smaller outages remained scattered across Junius, Tyre, Varick, Covert, Lodi and Romulus.
Residents also reported water entering numerous basements after heavy rain accompanied the storm. A Flood Watch remained in effect for Seneca County and surrounding areas through 8 a.m. Thursday because additional rainfall could produce flash flooding.
The full extent of damage was not immediately clear. Cleanup and assessment work was expected to continue overnight and into Thursday, and additional road closures could be necessary where trees or wires remained in the roadway.
County issues no unnecessary travel advisory
Authorities asked people to avoid unnecessary travel in Seneca Falls and Waterloo Wednesday night so highway crews, utility workers and first responders could clear debris and handle emergency calls without additional traffic.
Seneca County Sheriff Melinda Marquart, working with Seneca County Emergency Management, issued a no unnecessary travel advisory for northern Seneca County beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The advisory remained in effect until further notice Thursday morning.
Officials stressed that the advisory was not a travel ban, but a strong recommendation that motorists avoid travel unless it was absolutely necessary. Hazardous road conditions were reported in several parts of northern Seneca County, while motorists in southern Seneca County were advised to proceed with caution.
“We urge our community to stay home and stay safe,” Marquart said, noting that unnecessary traffic could make it more difficult for first responders to reach people who needed assistance.
Anyone who must travel was urged to use extreme caution, stay away from downed power lines and never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway. Police said every downed line should be treated as live, and people should keep their distance.
Police also reminded motorists to treat any nonfunctioning traffic signal as a four-way stop, coming to a complete stop and proceeding only when it was safe.
NYSEG and RG&E also warned customers to stay away from storm debris because it could conceal downed wires or damaged electrical equipment. All downed wires should be treated as energized and dangerous, and residents were warned to stay out of flooded basements because energized wiring or outlets could pose a hazard.
The Tornado Watch expired at 11 p.m. Wednesday without a confirmed tornado. Residents were advised to continue monitoring official alerts and allow emergency and utility crews room to work as the communities began recovering from the storm.
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