Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tornado Touches Down in Queens, NYC

Posted on by

A tornado barreled through the New York City borough of Queens on Thursday night as powerful thunderstorms moved through the area. With winds between 70 and 85 mph, it was rated EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

According the NWS, the twister touched down in College Point, Queens and traveled 0.7 miles east before dissipating in the Melba neighborhood. Measuring 100 yards wide, it knocked down at least 50 trees and numerous power lines. It also pulled the siding off several homes. No fatalities have been reported.

Tornadoes, historically, have been rare in New York City. In recent years, however, they have been happening more frequently. This latest twister was the 7th to hit NYC since 2010 and the 14th since 1950, when the NWS began tracking these destructive storms.

Tornado damage in Queens, NYC. Credit: WABC

July 2018: Wettest July in Fourteen Years for NYC

Posted on by

July is usually the wettest month on the calendar for New York City and this year it did not disappoint. In fact, it was an overachiever. In all, 7.45 inches of rain was measured in Central Park. That marks the city’s wettest July in fourteen years. Of this impressive total, 2.24 inches fell on a single day, which caused flash flooding around the five-boros. The city, on average, gets 4.60 inches of rain for the entire month.

In terms of temperature, July started with an extended heat wave and then produced some below average readings toward the end of the month. Highs ranged from a relatively cool 77°F to a steamy 96°F. However, with six days in the 90s, the warmth won out in the end. The city’s mean temperature for the month was 77.6°F, which is 1.1°F above average.