Tornado warning Rochester: storms spark outages, cancellations
A tornado warning Rochester residents faced Saturday afternoon covered parts of Monroe and nearby counties until 3:15 p.m., as severe thunderstorms brought RG&E power outages, flash flood alerts, and cancellations including the Rochester Pride Festival. The National Weather Service tracked a storm near Byron capable of producing a tornado.
Key Takeaways
- A tornado warning was issued around 2:44–2:50 p.m. Saturday and lasted until 3:15 p.m. for Rochester-area communities.
- The warned storm was near Byron, about seven miles northeast of Batavia, moving east at about 35 mph.
- RG&E reported more than 400 Monroe County homes without power by 3 p.m., after earlier peaks in Perinton, Penfield, and nearby suburbs.
- The Rochester Pride Festival was canceled; Hilton’s Kiddie Parade was canceled and its carnival postponed.
- A flash flood warning covered much of the Rochester area into the evening.
Where was the tornado warning Rochester coverage in effect?
According to News10NBC (WHEC), the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning at 2:44 p.m. that remained in effect until 3:15 p.m.
It applied to Rochester, Chili, Le Roy, Byron, Caledonia, Scottsville, Churchville, Riga, Bergen, and Elba.
The Daily News reported the same window for parts of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Monroe counties, including southwestern Monroe.
Radar showed a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado over Byron, about seven miles northeast of Batavia, moving east at about 35 mph. Weather Service radar also indicated rotation and quarter-size hail.
How bad were the power outages and flooding?
Gusty thunderstorms left RG&E customers without power across Monroe County. As of 3 p.m., RG&E reported more than 400 homes offline.
Earlier, at 12:45 p.m., outages were concentrated in East Rochester (over 600 customers), Pittsford (over 1,100), Perinton (over 2,700), and Penfield (over 1,600).
A flash flood warning from the National Weather Service covered Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit, Chili, Brockport, Henrietta, Penfield, and many nearby communities until 7 p.m.
News10NBC also shared flooding images from an underpass on 390 South near Henrietta Road.
What else was canceled, and how should people stay safe?
Storm impacts reached beyond the grid. The Rochester Pride Festival was canceled because of the weather. In Hilton, the Kiddie Parade was canceled and the village carnival was postponed.
An earlier tornado warning for the Canandaigua area, covering Geneva, Canandaigua, Clifton Springs, and nearby towns, had ended by 1:45 p.m.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo warned that flying debris is dangerous without shelter and that mobile homes can be damaged or destroyed, with likely tree damage and impacts to roofs, windows, and vehicles.
If severe weather disrupts sleep, cooling, or daily recovery routines, our Longevity & Biohacking desk covers practical ways to protect wellbeing when plans change.
A severe thunderstorm watch remained in effect into Saturday evening for Western New York, with an enhanced risk of damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and an isolated tornado, according to local reports citing NWS Buffalo.