New York, 2001

Damaging Winds in New York, June 20, 2001

June 20, 2001 · NWS BUF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Thunderstorms crossed the Niagara Peninsula during the early morning hours producing damaging winds across parts of Erie and Niagara counties. Trees were reported downed in Kenmore and North Tonawanda.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$35,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BUF wrote it up.

Thunderstorms crossed the Niagara Peninsula during the early morning hours producing damaging winds across parts of Erie and Niagara counties. Trees were reported downed in Kenmore and North Tonawanda. In Niagara Falls, a falling tree smashed a fence and damaged a garage.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 20, 1:09 AM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 1:09 AM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
209 AM EDT WED JUN 20 2001

NOT MUCH TIME FOR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
IN THE AREA. QUICK NOTE...THE ECHOES CURRENTLY ON THE BUFFALO WSR-88D
ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ONTARIO FROM ROC TO OSWEGO ARE NOT
PRECIPITATION...HOWEVER THAT COULD CHANGE QUICKLY WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE REGION.

CURRENT SFC MAP SHOWS COLD FRONT ON OUR DOORSTEP WITH SFC WAVE OVER
LAKE ERIE.  THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE WILL CROSS THE
NORTHWEST CORNER OF WESTERN NEW YORK THROUGH 4AM. MONITORING
SIUTATION CLOSELY FOR BOTH MARINE INTERESTS AND COUNTIES IN THAT
AREA.

MODELS SHOW THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLOWING AND STALLING ALONG THE PENN
BORDER TODAY AND THE FRONT WILL REMAIN THERE TONIGHT AS IT ALIGNS
ITSELF WITH THE UPPER FLOW. ON THURSDAY A STRONGER SHORT WAVE FROM
CENTRAL CANADA DROPS SE ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AND THAT BUCKLES
THE UPPER PATTERN ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ANOTHER SFC LOW ON THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH. THAT WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVIER RAIN
AND TRWS FOR SOUTHERN TIER AND CENTRAL NEW YORK.

BASED ON THE PRECIPITATION AND CLOUD COVER I AM GOING UNDER MOS MAX'S
TODAY ACROSS THE REGION.  TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION WILL BE MOST LIKELY
ALONG OUR SRN TIER...SO FORECAST WILL STRATIFIED INTO LIKELY POPS
ALONG OUR SRN TIER...CHC POPS REST OF THE REGION AND NO PCPN EAST OF
LAKE ONTARIO.

I MAY MAKE A CHANGE TO SATURDAY PORTION OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST
BASED ON THE AVN SOLUTION THAT PUTS THE COLD CORE 500MB LOW RIGHT
OVER WNY SAT AT 12Z. I WOULD LIKE TO GET A QUICK LOOK AT NEW MRF
HOWEVER BEFORE I MAKE ANY CHANGES.

??/COMMENTS CALL SOON.

.BUF...NONE.

NIZIOL

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Erie

When
June 20, 2:20 AM EST
Where
Erie County, Kenmore
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.967, -78.833

Thunderstorm Wind, Niagara

When
June 20, 2:30 AM EST
Where
Niagara County, North Tonawanda
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
43.033, -78.883

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, June 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5252353, 5252354.