Somers

Clean Up Continues After EF-0 Tornado Touches Down in Somers

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The clean up is continuing today after the National Weather Service said an EF-0 tornado touched down in Somers last night.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado hit between 6:11 p.m. and 6:18 p.m.

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The length of its path was 1.9 miles and it touched down on Colonia Drive then headed north-northeast up to the area of Hickory Hill Drive, the NWS said.

The NWS said peak winds reached 80 mph, which is at the high range for an EF-0 tornado.

Cell phone videos captured the ominous looking clouds.

This video from Brittney Arruda shows what appears to be the tornado that touched down in Somers.

“The next thing I know I see the cloud. The cloud just starting to spin and spin and spin, rotation," said Jim Shewokis, of Somers.

The National Weather Service said an EF-0 tornado touched down in Somers Sunday evening.

"It was scary," said Rebecca Smith, of Somers. "It was wicked noisy and I look out the window and the wires to the house were whipping and the doors on the shed were whipping. And debris just flying that way.”

The National Weather Service investigated damage in town and subsequently determined a tornado did in fact touch down. For more information about the tornado's path, click here.

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The NWS said several large pine trees came down on Colonial Drive and two cars were destroyed by falling trees. Approximately 19 trees were snapped, twisted and uprooted on Lake Drive. A few large oak trees were also snapped on Hickory Hill Drive.

Nearby on Route 83, utility poles appear to have shifted in the ground and a business on Main Street had damage to its roof and gutter.

A playscape was lifted up from a Somers home and landed about 50 feet away.

Durkee Road remains closed due to flooding. Colonial Drive and Hickory Hill Drive are closed due to tree damage related to the tornado, according to town officials. Residents are asked to be careful when traveling due to the flood and storm damage along the roads.

About five of 50 campers at the campground were unable to get out because flooding was so bad during severe storms on Saturday.

The public works director said it will take days to clean everything up.

“This crazy weather we’ve had... yesterday morning, we had three roads closed due to flooding, two of those roads are now open. One is still closed due to the flooding from the Sunday morning storm of 3+ inches of rain. It’s been quite active,” said Todd Rolland, the director of public works in Somers.

Neither a severe thunderstorm warning nor a tornado warning were issued with this storm system.

The storm did not produce any lightning, only heavy rain, according to the NWS. They said that high humidity and just enough wind shear above were strong enough to cause the tornado to form.

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No injuries were reported as a result of the tornado.

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