A tornado with 85 mph winds touched down in Great River during intense thunderstorms Friday and tore a nearly five-mile path to Lake Ronkonkoma, according to the National Weather Service.
The twister was 150 yards at its widest and was rated an EF0, which is the weakest on the Enhanced Fujita Scale that measures tornado strength.
“Even though it is the lowest, it did create a lot of tree damage,” said Lauren Nash, an Upton-based meteorologist with the NWS.
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The cyclone formed on Widgeon Court in Great River at 2:06 p.m. and lifted near the corner of Ocean Avenue and Gary Way in Lake Ronkonkoma—crossing through Connetquot River State park along the way.
The worst of the damage appears to be the area around Feureisen Avenue in Bohemia, according to a Suffolk County police spokeswoman. Trees fell onto cars, houses and utility lines in the area.
The NWS said several homes were damaged in Oakdale as well. Preliminary reports do not indicate any injuries as a result of the damage.
