NEW YORK – Residents in one area of Long Island woke up Monday morning to downed trees and power lines due to what many in the community suspected was a tornado.
The storm detection team sent to Mattituck confirmed their suspicions later that day and concluded that an EF-0 tornado had landed around 11:15 pm on Sunday.
A preliminary report from the National Weather Service estimates that system winds reached between 75 and 85 mph, which keeps the tornado in the lowest force category.
The tornado may have been on the “weak” end, but it still had a big impact. Mattituck resident Nancy Burt felt the power. He woke up moments before a tree crashed into his roof.
Ron Mazzaferro said the storm sounded like a freight train and broke a large tree on his property. Trees were felled along a narrow one-and-a-half mile stretch in the North Fork community.
“I’ve been through quite a few hurricanes here, but I never want to face it again. This scared the shit out of me,” Mazzaferro said Monday.
The sound of chainsaws was heard for much of Monday as teams worked to clear streets, yards and houses of fallen trees and branches. Only about twenty customers were still without electricity.
Tim Morrin of the National Weather Service examined the damage for information that would help respond to what happened Sunday night.
“[Hay] Enough evidence that I will take this information to the office and analyze it further, ”he told our sister network News 4 hours before confirming the EF-O tornado.
The storm resulted in an unexpected cleaning day for Anthony Martignetti, who admitted he never heard a thing.
“We had no idea. I guess we drank too much wine at dinner and slept the whole time,” she said.
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