The National Weather Service has scheduled two storm surveys to investigate storm damage from Thursday morning’s storms.
Update: Two tornadoes have been confirmed: https://flxweather.com/weather-update/confirmed-storm-surveys-find-2-tornadoes/
One survey will take place in the Rock Stream area of Yates County, southeast of Dundee near the west shore of Seneca Lake.
The second will be in the Groton and Cortland areas of northeastern Tompkins county and in and around the city of Cortland.
Preliminary survey results are expected to be published by the National Weather Service late Friday.
Storm surveys are conducted to determine whether damage was caused by a tornado or microburst, and how strong the winds were, in addition to timing and location details.
If you are in these areas and experienced damage, please visit https://www.weather.gov/bgm/helpStormReports to share your report.
On a personal note, I decided to chase the storm between Groton and Cortland as it passed nearby my house in order to notify the NWS if a tornado was visible. I did not see any tornado activity where I was, and the tree damage I saw was consistent with a microburst, but that does not mean a tornado did not occur elsewhere. I’ve included a picture of the storm as the core of it passed by and approached Cortland.
Storm chasing is not a casual activity, nor is it a decision I made lightly. I knew exactly where the strongest rotation was and exactly where to go to position myself safely. I did not chase for the thrill, but only to help the National Weather Service and the public. As a professional meteorologist, I strongly discourage storm chasing by the general public or those seeking a thrill. Stay at home and in shelter.
Elaine
I have watched some storm chasers on You Tube. They are a rare breed, and a little bit crazy! But many of them go out of their way to help people affected by tornadoes and other extreme weather, in addition to all the data they collect and transmit to various weather agencies, and are to be appreciated for their caring hearts. You definitely need to know what you’re doing in order to stay safe out there. I agree, the rest of us should stay home, indoors and away from windows, and out of the way! Many thanks for all you do, Drew!!
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
Professional, trained storm chasing is a HUGE resource out in tornado alley, providing instant confirmation and information to the NWS to help their forecasts and alerts. That is the role I play on the rare occasions I head out, like yesterday. And yes, they are basically first responders as well and do a tremendous amount of good.
Academic storm chasing is the cutting edge of meteorological science, collecting data from tornadoes to help figure them out… there is still a lot we don’t know. The OTUS project is doing some really amazing work, flying drones into tornadoes. Definitely check them out for some truly breathtaking views: https://www.theotusproject.com/