Updated 07/27/2009 06:06 PM
Four Tornadoes in Two Days; Cleanup in WNY Continues
It was a sight quite unfamiliar to those in Western New York: four tornadoes hit our area this weekend. Twisters in Corfu and Hilton caused a path of destruction in both areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) is also confirming two tornadoes in Cattaraugus County Sunday.
The EF-0 tornado touched at 5:55 p.m. Saturday on the southern edge of the village, just west of Hilton Parma Road and Route 259. It continued in a northeast direction for about three quarters of a mile.
The National Weather Service said the tornado with maximum winds of 75 mph was not on the ground the entire time.
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While most of the damage was to trees, one home suffered structural damage.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is also confirming two tornadoes in Cattaraugus County Sunday.
A tornado with maximum winds of 90 to 95 miles per hour touched down in Onoville around 6:50 pm Sunday night.
The tornado damaged docks and boats at the marina in Onoville. A couple of trailers were moved and one rolled over. The NWS said there was one injury.
A second tornado touched down around 7:10 p.m. in the Cain Hollow portion of Allegany State Park. The NWS said that tornado had winds from 75 to 80 miles per hour.
It toppled more than a dozen trees; no one was injured.
Meanwhile, Mother Nature left hundreds of people in Genesee County having to start their work week off with rakes, shovels, and chainsaws.
A Saturday evening tornado in Corfu destroyed one home and two businesses. It leaves the rest of the community with a clean-up effort that depends on neighbors from near and far.
Mother Nature can create beauty, but this weekend she made a mess.
"We're going to pick up as much as we can and get it out of here," Charles Lenhard of Corfu said.
This is how Corfu residents clean up, and it's not done alone.
“We do it all the time. I never asked anybody to come. The kids called me last night and said we want to help what can we do?" Lenhard said.
Lenhard and his scout troop worked on his lot.
"I see everyone's coming together to help other people because there's a lot of damage and people need a lot of help here," Adam Doktor said.
Doktor picked up from Saturday evening's tornado at a friend's house.
"We're trying to take care of a tree that fell in their backyard almost on their house," Doktor said.
And the Village of Corfu as a community had help from its neighboring towns.
"Yesterday I received, probably 12-15 phone calls from municipalities telling me crews were coming to help me," Corfu Mayor Todd Skeet said.
Skeet made a push a few years ago to get neighboring municipalities to work together. He believes it's now paying off and so do residents.
"I think it helps a lot here because some people just don't have the time to come out and help," Doktor said.
"You can ask anybody for anything and you're going to get it,” Lenhard said.
It's the type of team work residents in this community will tell you is something they would do for others too.
"Anything like this would happen elsewhere the Village of Corfu would be packing up and going there," Skeet said.