2019 Manhattan Tornado

The 2019 Manhattan Tornado was a powerful and devastating EF3 tornado that tore through the Manhattan borough of New York City on September 17, 2019. It was the first tornado to strike the New York City area since 2010, and was the strongest to strike the city in history. The tornado initially started out as a waterspout over the mouth of the Hudson River at 1:23PM It moved northeast, bypassing Governors Island before it moved onto land at Battery Park. The tornado, now on land, moved right through downtown New York City, leaving behind severe damage. It continued moving through New York City before it dissipated over Central Park at 1:35PM. In all, the tornado killed 21 people and injured 595 others. A state of emergency was later declared in New York City.

The Tornado
The tornado was spawned from a supercell over the mouth of the Hudson River near the New York/New Jersey border. Ships and citizens reported seeing a funnel cloud over the water, and thus, a TORR was issued for Manhattan. At 1:23PM, the tornado touched down over water and began moving Northeast. It was, at first, a stovepipe tornado. The tornado bypassed Governors Island and continued heading for Manhattan. At 1:25PM, a PDS TORR was issued for all of Manhattan as the tornado continued Northeast towards the city. At 1:27PM, the tornado moved right into New York City at Battery Park.