On the afternoon of July 26th, a significant severe weather event impacted portions of the Binghamton, NY forecast area. By the late morning/early afternoon, a warm front had lifted north through the region placing much of the Binghamton forecast area in a moderately unstable airmass.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BGM wrote it up.
On the afternoon of July 26th, a significant severe weather event impacted portions of the Binghamton, NY forecast area. By the late morning/early afternoon, a warm front had lifted north through the region placing much of the Binghamton forecast area in a moderately unstable airmass. Aloft, multiple approaching upper-level shortwave troughs approached the region from the central Great Lakes during the early afternoon hours which provided the initial forcing for thunderstorm development. Also, a punch of mid-level dry air helped create mid-level convective instability along with a favorable setup for strong damaging winds.
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 Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 26, 1:22 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY 222 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RACE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL, DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT, ALONG WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SHORT DISCUSSION TODAY DUE TO IMPENDING SVR WX... 2 PM UPDATE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIT THE AREA TO THE SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY WITH OVRNGT MINS IN THE U60S/LWR 70S. LINGERING MOISTURE ALONG WITH EXTENSIVE CLD CVR AND RAIN WL LKLY RESULT IN PATCHY VSBY REDUCTIONS DUE TO FOG OVRNGT. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... UNSETTLED WX CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RIGHT THROUGH EARLY PORTIONS OF THE WEEKEND AS BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW PERSISTS OVER THE NORTHEASTERN US. THE NEXT IN A SERIES OF UPPER SHORTWAVES WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST TOWARDS OUR REGION BY EARLY FRI...WHICH WILL INTERACT WITH ANOTHER SOUTHWARD MOVING COLD FRONT. AS THIS OCCURS...EXPECT THE RENEWED DEVELOPMENT OF SHWRS/STORMS BY LATE MORNING/AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS FRONTAL CONVERGENCE INTERACTS WITH INCREASING FORCING FROM ALOFT. WITH RESPECT TO SEVERE POTENTIAL...MUCH LOWER INSTABILITY WILL EXIST AS TODAY/S MOISTURE WILL BE SCOURED OUT WITH THIS AFTERNOON/S THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THAT SAID...DESPITE MODERATELY STRONG WIND FIELDS ALOFT (0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VECTORS ON THE ORDER OF 40 KTS)...SEVERE THREAT APPEARS MARGINAL BASED ON VERY LIMITED INSTABILITY. BY SATURDAY...YET ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DIVING INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS WILL INTERACT WITH THE LINGERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY ONCE AGAIN TO PRODUCE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHWRS/STORMS. UPPER WIND FIELDS APPEAR MUCH WEAKER BY SATURDAY AS MAIN MID-LEVEL JET CORE DIVES WELL SOUTH OF OUR REGION...THIS ORGANIZED SEVERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE IN THE OFFERING. AREAL COVERAGE AS SUGGESTED BY VARIOUS FCST MODELS TO INCLUDE THE WRF AND GFS SUPPORT MAINTAINING CHC MENTION FOR POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA THROUGH THE DAY. FINALLY BY SATURDAY NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY...HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL GREAT LAKES WILL FINALLY BEGIN MOVING TOWARDS THE AREA WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO A DECREASE IN SHWR/STORM ACTIVITY. DESPITE THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR SEASONABLE VALUES THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... UPDATE AS OF 1 PM...IN THE INTEREST OF TIME WITH POTENTIAL SEVERE WX LOOMING TODAY...ONLY SUBTLE CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE LONG TERM FORECAST TODAY WHICH WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY HPC DAY 3-7 GUIDANCE. HIGH PRESSURE PARKED OVER THE REGION DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEKEND IS PROGGED TO GIVE WAY TO A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROF AND DIFFUSE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE ACROSS CNY AND NEPA BY TUESDAY. NOT MUCH TO SINK OUR TEETH INTO AS FAR AS A BONAFIDE WEATHER MAKER...BUT DIURNAL INSTABILITY WITHIN THE CYCLONIC FLOW WILL WARRANT CHANCES FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS AT ANY TIME AFTER MONDAY. IF ORGANIZED LOW PRESSURE FORMS ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD...THEN A CHANCE FOR STEADIER RAIN IN SOME AREAS WILL INCREASE FOR THURSDAY. HOWEVER, MODELS ARE NOT IN GOOD CONSENSUS WITH THAT SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE SEASONABLE FOR LATE JULY AND EARLY AUGUST. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... 130 PM UPDATE... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA WITH THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING BETWEEN 18Z AND 20Z. KELM AND KITH WILL SEE -TSRA START TO AFFECT THE TERMINALS AROUND 19Z AND REMAINING SITES WILL SEE -TSRA AFTER 20Z. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR TERMINALS SOUTH OF THE SOUTHERN TIER OF NY INTO NEPA. HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUPS FOR 15G40KTS OUT OF THE WEST-NORTHWEST DIRECTION AS ANY SEVERE STORM MOVES THROUGH THE TERMINALS. STORMS WILL EXIT THE TERMINALS BETWEEN 01Z-03Z WITH MVFR CONDITIONS SETTING IN BEHIND THE STORMS GIVEN MOISTURE PRESENT IN ITS WAKE...WITH RESTRICTIONS TO VSBYS AND CIGS. REDEVELOPMENT OF BKN CUMULUS LATE MORNING FRI WITH -SHRAS POSSIBLE AGAIN BUT TOO EARLY TO INCLUDE MENTION IN TAFS. OUTLOOK... FRI NGT-SAT...RESTRICTIONS PSBL IN SHRA/TSRA. SAT NGT - TUE...MAINLY VFR UNDER BUILDING HIPRES. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NY...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PVN NEAR TERM...PVN SHORT TERM...CMG LONG TERM...JAB AVIATION...PVN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY 225 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055-271830- NORTHERN ONEIDA-YATES-SENECA-SOUTHERN CAYUGA-ONONDAGA-STEUBEN- SCHUYLER-CHEMUNG-TOMPKINS-MADISON-SOUTHERN ONEIDA-CORTLAND-CHENANGO- OTSEGO-TIOGA- 225 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...TORNADO WATCH 525 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. NYZ056-057-062-PAZ038>040-043-044-047-048-072-271830- BROOME-DELAWARE-SULLIVAN-BRADFORD-SUSQUEHANNA-NORTHERN WAYNE-WYOMING- LACKAWANNA-LUZERNE-PIKE-SOUTHERN WAYNE- 225 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...TORNADO WATCH 525 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK...SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY 1014 AM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-262015- NORTHERN ONEIDA-YATES-SENECA-SOUTHERN CAYUGA-ONONDAGA-STEUBEN- SCHUYLER-CHEMUNG-TOMPKINS-MADISON-SOUTHERN ONEIDA-CORTLAND- CHENANGO-OTSEGO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BOONVILLE...PENN YAN...SENECA FALLS... AUBURN...SYRACUSE...CORNING...HORNELL...WATKINS GLEN...ELMIRA... ITHACA...ONEIDA...UTICA...ROME...CORTLAND...NORWICH...ONEONTA... COOPERSTOWN 1014 AM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS...GENERALLY BETWEEN 2 AND 8 PM. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. NYZ055>057-062-PAZ038>040-043-044-047-048-072-262015- TIOGA-BROOME-DELAWARE-SULLIVAN-BRADFORD-SUSQUEHANNA- NORTHERN WAYNE-WYOMING-LACKAWANNA-LUZERNE-PIKE-SOUTHERN WAYNE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OWEGO...BINGHAMTON...WALTON...DELHI... MONTICELLO...TOWANDA...SAYRE...MONTROSE...TUNKHANNOCK... SCRANTON...WILKES-BARRE...HAZLETON...MILFORD...HONESDALE 1014 AM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS...GENERALLY BETWEEN 2 AND 8 PM. THESE STORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER AND FINGER LAKES REGION AROUND 2 PM AND TRACK EASTWARD. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PN
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:23 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were downed in Woodhull, blocking both lanes of traffic.
A tree was blown down, blocking a road.
Numerous trees were blown down onto houses.
A tornado touched down near the intersection of Ryers Creek Road and River Road. Damage was maily caused by trees falling on property along Ryers Creek Road. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped in a narrow, concentrated line crossing the valley.
Numerous trees were blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down, many on houses.
Damage began in heavily wooded property along Welch Road west of the community college. The path moved through the South Corning Community College with most of the damage to trees. It moved down the hill impacting trees and property to the east of the community college and moving into South Corning area. Homes and property were impacted along County Route 44 as the tornado moved east. Two silos were damaged and airborne missiles penetrated a house. There was damage to siding, trim/flashing, and porches. A couple sheds were destroyed. Many homes will have to deal with tree removal. Numerous trees came down in a community just south of 44 on Brown Hollow Road. The tornado ended near Murphy Road.
Numerous trees were blown down around Corning Community College.
A tornado touched down west of Elmira near Miracle Lane off of Route 352. It traveled through west Elmira and into downtown Elmira along Church Street. It fell hundreds of trees. Some trees smashed cars, homes, and porches. It was amazing no one was injured or killed. The damage path widened while in downtown Elmira between Route 14 and Route 17. Then the tornado turned towards the southeast and traveled in a path near Jerusalem Hill Road. It lifted near the intersection of Jerusalem Hill Road and Monkey Run Road.
A tornado touched down and moved up and down over ridges and valleys for almost 14 miles. The first touch down was across Route 1 in North Chemung. The tornado moved east, eventually moving out of Chemung County into Tioga county just northwest of the Town of Lockwood. The majority of damage was to softwood and hardwood trees which were uprooted or snapped. Unlike the extensive straight-line wind damage found to the south of this track, this damage clearly had signs of circular motion in a very concentrated and narrow path. The damage path averaged about 200 yards wide. Some homes, garages and sheds were damaged by wind with trim or siding torn or shingles off roofs. Some homes had more significant damage from trees falling on them. One barn was completely destroyed.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
This is a continuation of the 14 mile long tornado that first touched down in North Chemung, Chemung County. The tornado moved east and entered Tioga County on a hill just northwest of Lockwood and then moved through the town of Lockwood. East of Lockwood and similar to the Elmira tornado, the tornado takes a turn to the southeast doing heavy damage along Crandall Hill Road and down across Oak Hill Road ending just east of there and north of the town of Barton. The majority of damage was to softwood and hardwood trees which were uprooted or snapped. Unlike the extensive straight-line wind damage found to the south of this track, this damage clearly had signs of circular motion in a very concentrated and narrow path. The damage path averaged about 200 yards wide. Some homes, garages and sheds were damaged by wind with trim or siding torn or shingles off roofs. Some homes had more significant damage from trees falling on them. One barn was completely destroyed.
Intense straight line or microburst winds from a thunderstorm struck just west of Route 34 about 4 miles north of the village of Waverly around 414 PM EDT. The high winds took part of the roof off an open pole barn near Route 34 and knocked down and snapped many trees and tree branches along its path to the east northeast toward north Barton. The winds were mainly between 60 and 80 mph, except on Madigan Road where maximum estimated winds were around 100 mph. Numerous large pine trees and a few hardwoods were snapped and a well constructed relatively new horse barn had its roof lifted off and thrown up to 150 yards downwind. The owner of the barn was inside the structure when the roof was lifted off and had both doors barred shut. The winds hit the barn on the side with no windows. It should be noted that the barn was made of metal siding as was the roof. The winds were strong enough to blow the doors out on the sides of the barn and tear the roof off, making it likely that winds were around 100 mph. The winds then continued up the hill to the east and weakened.
The total path length of the microburst wind damage was about 2.5 miles and the width of the damage was around 2 miles wide.
Trees were blown down between Nichols and Lounsberry.
Small trees were blown down on Route 17C.
Large branches were blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down. Some large trees were snapped in half.
Sustained 55-60 mph winds for 10 minutes. Dime size hail also fell.
A large tree was blown down, blocking one lane of State Route 26 near Hazel Drive.
Numerous trees were blown down between Campville and Endicott.
Trees were blown down on Lincoln Street, with people trapped inside a home.
Numerous trees and wires were blown in the Town and City of Binghamton.
Numerous large trees were blown down on South Mountain.
Trees were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
After a nearly continuous path of straight-line wind damage across southwest and south-central Broome county, a survey team confirmed a tornado touch down just east of Interstate 81 in the town of Kirkwood. The tornado path began on Burts Road, approximately 0.62 miles north-northwest of the Burts/Gorman Road intersection. At this location, multiple hard and soft wood trees were snapped or uprooted. Many fallen trees were oriented in a convergent pattern, which is consistent with tornadic damage. The tornado path continued in a south-southeast manner before lifting.
Trees were blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down throughout the Hancock Community.
Numerous trees were blown down in and around Monticello.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New York, 2012Warnings in New York, July 2012
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: 400940, 400941, 400942, 400669, 400943, 400956, 400672, 400957, 400671, 400682, 400944, 407815, 400955, 400962, 400945, 400946, 400952, 400947, 400948, 400950, 400949, 400951, 400959, 400953, 400954, 400686, 400958, 400960, 400961.