The National Weather Service has confirmed that a brief EF-0 tornado touched down just west of Cortland during Thursday’s severe weather.
According to a storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service office in Binghamton, the tornado touched down about 3.4 miles west of Cortland in Cortland County at approximately 11:32 a.m. It moved east-northeast at an estimated speed of 50 mph before dissipating as it approached the city.
Survey teams found a corridor of tree damage consistent with tornadic activity. Meteorologists said the most significant evidence was a convergent damage pattern, where trees fell in different directions toward a central path, a key indicator of a tornado.
Damage was observed along Route 222 and residential streets south of the highway. Most trees were blown toward the east-northeast, although some fell due north. North of the Cortland County Airport, surveyors identified trees that had fallen toward the southwest, further confirming the presence of rotating winds.
The damage included numerous uprooted trees and several large trees that were snapped.
As the storm moved farther east-northeast, additional tree damage was observed, but officials said the pattern no longer showed signs of rotation. That indicated the tornado had dissipated, with the remaining damage caused by straight-line thunderstorm winds.
No injuries were reported in connection with the tornado.
