PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY 100 PM EDT FRI JUL 14 2006 ...SUMMARY OF THE JULY 12 2006 TORNADO ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK AND THEN INTO NORTH GREENWICH CONNECTICUT... NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON NEW YORK CONFIRMS THAT A TORNADO PRODUCED A DAMAGE TRACK OF APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES IN LENGTH THAT EXTENDED FROM GRAND VIEW-ON-HUDSON IN ROCKLAND COUNTY THROUGH CENTRAL WESTCHESTER COUNTY OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK AND THEN INTO NORTH GREENWICH IN EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY OF CONNECTICUT. THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS F2 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE...ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS RATED AS A STRONG F1. WHILE DAMAGE WAS PRIMARILY CAUSED BY THE THOUSANDS OF LARGE TREES THAT WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED...WIND DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO STRUCTURES ALONG THE PATH. DESPITE THE LONG PATH AND AMOUNT OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE TORNADO...NO FATALITIES OCCURRED AND ONLY APPROXIMATELY SIX MINOR INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN IN GRAND VIEW ON-THE-HUDSON IN ROCKLAND COUNTY AT APPROXIMATELY 330 PM. AFTER DAMAGING A DOCK ON THE ROCKLAND SIDE SHORELINE...THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS THE HUDSON RIVER...OVERTURNING A BOAT ON THE RIVER NEAR THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE BEFORE MOVING INTO THE TOWN OF SLEEPY HOLLOW IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY AT APPROXIMATELY 337 PM. HOMES AND BUSINESSES ALONG BEEKMAN AVENUE... DEPEYSTER STREET AND CHESTNUT STREET IN SLEEPY HOLLOW EXPERIENCED ROOF AND SIDING DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH A TORNADO OF F1 INTENSITY. THE TORNADO CONTINUED ON AN EAST NORTHEAST TRACK TO THE SLEEPY HOLLOW HIGH SCHOOL. A 58 MPH WIND GUST WAS MEASURED AT 339 PM NEAR THE PERIPHERY OF THE TORNADO TRACK. AS THE TORNADO MOVED INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF PACANICO HILLS...THE DAMAGE TO TREES AND STRUCTURES...THAT INCLUDED THE DESTRUCTION OF TWO SMALL BARNS...INDICATED THAT THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED TO A F2. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED ROUTE 9A...SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE CALIFORNIA CLOSET BUILDING. IN ADDITION...A STATE TROOPER'S VEHICLE WAS LIFTED BRIEFLY OFF THE GROUND AND A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS BLOWN OVER. AS THE TORNADO MOVED INTO MOUNT PLEASANT AND HAWTHORNE...EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE RATED AS STRONG F1 WAS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY OF STEVENS AVENUE. MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT WAS OBSERVED IN THE SUMMIT LAKE INDUSTRIAL AREA. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED INTO THE KENSICO RESERVOIR REGION ACROSS ROUTES 22 AND 120 IN THE NORTH CASTLE AREA. THE PATH WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS ESTIMATED AT 200 TO 300 YARDS BASED ON THE DAMAGE SURVEY ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY. AS THE TORNADO ENTERED EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY CONNECTICUT AT 401 PM...F1 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN NORTH GREENWICH ALONG CUTLER AND BEDFORD ROADS. F0 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ALONG RIVERSVILLE ROAD AS THE TORNADO MOVED EAST. THE TORNADO APPARENTLY LIFTED AS IT CROSSED JOHN STREET. A BRIEF TOUCHDOWN MAY HAVE OCCURRED JUST NORTH OF THE MERRITT PARKWAY. PATH WIDTH OBSERVED IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREATLY APPRECIATES THE COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF AS WELL AS LOCAL FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT DURING THE TORNADO EVENT AND FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION.