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NWS: Weak tornado briefly touched down in Mattituck

STORM_02

The alerts about a possible tornado on the East End this afternoon proved to be more than just a warning. The National Weather Service issued a statement saying a weak tornado briefly touched down in Mattituck at 4:25 p.m. 

The tornado was confirmed as an EF-0, the weakest on the scale of 0-5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The NWS said as a severe thunderstorm moved southeast across eastern Suffolk County, it produced the small, short-lived tornado in Mattituck.

Most wind damage was concentrated between Main Road and New Suffolk Avenue close to the corridor from Cardinal Drive southeast to Blossom Bend, where the tornado lifted before reaching New Suffolk Avenue, the NWS said. Wind damage was confined mainly to trees, where several trees were snapped in half.

The NWS said the estimated maximum wind speed was 70 mph and the maximum path width was 40 yards. The path length was .3 miles, the NWS said.

No injuries were reported.

The brief, but powerful storm wreaked havoc across the North Fork. A Peconic home caught fire after it appeared to be struck by lightning and streets in Greenport were flooded.

Photo caption: John Fudjinski clears a fallen tree on New Suffolk Avenue this afternoon. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

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