Severe Thunderstorm Warning 58, NWS New York, NY

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
320 PM EDT WED JUL 3 1996

...SEVERE WEATHER IN NORTHERN NEW HAVEN COUNTY EARLY THIS MORNING...

A LINE OF EAST SOUTHEAST MOVING THUNDERSTORMS THAT PASSED ACROSS
CONNECTICUT THIS MORNING PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE
WATERBURY AND WOLCOTT COMMUNITIES OF EXTREME NORTHERN NEW HAVEN
COUNTY. A TEAM OF METEOROLOGISTS FROM THE FORECAST OFFICE AT UPTON
NEW YORK IS CURRENTLY ON THEIR WAY TO THE REGION AS PART OF AN
OFFICIAL DAMAGE SURVEY.

BASED ON REPORTS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS...TELEVISION EMPLOYEES AND
SKYWARN SPOTTERS...IT APPEARS THAT A DOWNBURST PRODUCED THE DAMAGE
OVER THE BUCKS HILL SECTION OF WATERBURY THAN HELPED SPAWN A TORNADO
OVER WEST CENTRAL WOLCOTT.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT A "BOW" IN THE
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAUSE THE INTENSIFICATION OF A THUNDERSTORM ON
THE NORTH END OF THE BOW. THIS STORM MOVED ACROSS THE WATERBURY AND
WOLCOTT AREA.

THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT IS KNOWN AT THIS TIME.

THE EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 635 AND 645 AM BASED ON RADAR.

NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

TOTAL DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF MARBLE SIZED HAIL FROM THE PUBLIC WITH A REPORT OF
TENNIS BALL SIZED HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.

PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY ROOF AND TREE DAMAGE.

SEVERAL THOUSANDS LOST POWER IN THE AREA.

EXTENSIVE ROOF DAMAGE TO THE WATERBURY HIGH SCHOOL GYM WAS DONE.

REPORTS OF A LARGE BUILDING COLLAPSE IN WATERBURY AT AN OIL COMPANY
WAS RECEIVED.

A SKYWARN SPOTTER/PRIVATE METEOROLOGIST/HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
INVESTIGATION OF THE DAMAGE IN WALCOTT INDICATES DISTINCT TORNADIC
DAMAGE ALONG BEACH ROAD. A PATH...TWISTED DEBRIS AND OPPOSITE
FALLING DIRECTIONS OF THE TREES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PATH WAS
OBSERVED.

A FINAL REPORT WILL BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT WHEN THE DAMAGE SURVEY
RETURNS.

THE NWS WISHES TO THANK THE LOCAL NEW HAVEN TELEVISION STATION AND
LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR THEIR COOPERATION DURING THIS EVENT.

TONGUE