page_title: 2006 Westchester County tornado
section_title: Impact
hierarchical_section_title: 2006 Westchester County tornado / Impact
caption_attribution_description: English: I took this picture after the tornado affected Westchester in Rockland County, New York.
context_page_description: The 2006 Westchester County tornado was the strongest and largest tornado in Westchester County, New York since the 1904 Chappaqua tornado. It touched down there on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 and traveled 13 miles into southwestern Connecticut during a 33-minute span through two states. The tornado touched down at 3:30 p.m. EDT on the shore of the Hudson River before becoming a waterspout and traveling 3 mi across the river. Coming ashore, the tornado entered Westchester County and struck the town of Sleepy Hollow at F1 intensity. After passing through the town, it intensified into an F2 tornado and grew to almost a quarter of a mile in diameter. The tornado continued through the county, damaging numerous structures, until it crossed into Connecticut at 4:01 p.m. EDT. Not long after entering the state, it dissipated in the town of Greenwich at 4:03 p.m. EDT. When the tornado entered Westchester County, it was the eighth known tornado to either touch down or enter the county since 1950.
  Two barns and a warehouse were destroyed, and a large stained-glass window was shattered. Numerous homes and businesses were damaged and thousands of trees were uprooted.
context_section_description: The tornado took a path through Rockland, Westchester and Fairfield counties, downing or uprooting thousands of trees and damaging several structures, including significant structural damage to the California Closets warehouse. Six minor injuries were also reported. In all, the tornado inflicted $12.1 million in damage.
  Minor damage was reported in Rockland County. One dock and one boat were damaged by the tornado. After crossing the Hudson River, the tornado entered Westchester County, where the worst of the damage took place. It struck the town of Sleepy Hollow, damaging roofs and tearing the siding off numerous homes and businesses. A 10-foot (3 m) tall stained-glass window in the St. Teresa of Avila Church was shattered. Afterwards, the town of Pocantico Hills was struck as the tornado intensified to F2 intensity. Several trees were uprooted and two barns were destroyed. The California Closet Warehouse suffered severe structural damage; two concrete walls were destroyed. An interior staircase, which employees used as a shelter, collapsed causing four injuries. Concrete blocks from the building were blown about, some of which struck cars in a nearby parking lot. A nearby Comfort Inn had part of its roof torn off. After a tornado warning was issued, a school near the warehouse was evacuated.
  As the tornado crossed New York State Route 9A, it picked up a state trooper car and flipped it several times before it fell to the ground; the officer inside suffered only minor injuries. Moving towards the east-northeast, the tornado struck the towns of Mount Pleasant and Hawthorne, damaging numerous trees and causing minor structural damage. Damage along the Saw Mill River Parkway prompted officials to shut down a section of the highway near Mount Pleasant.  Trees fell on streets and railroad tracks, halting Metro-North Railroad service and creating major traffic delays. After passing by the Kensico Reservoir in Valhalla, the tornado crossed into Connecticut, where it knocked down numerous power lines, cutting power to about 10,000 residences in the county. In all, six people sustained minor injuries and damages amounted to $10.1 million.
  The weakening tornado ended its duration in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the town of Greenwich. Thousands of trees were either uprooted or snapped along the tornado's 2 mi (3.2 km) path through the state. Minor damage was inflicted upon several structures. The tornado left 1,700 residences in Greenwich without power and blocked six roads. Most of the damage was concentrated to the northwestern corner of the town. Damages in the state totaled to  $2 million.
caption: Tornado damage near a forested area
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