Remnants of Hurricane Beryl and excessive heat and humidity are combining to create potentially dangerous weather situations across Upstate New York Wednesday.
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Tornados and microbursts have already been reported in parts of Western and Central New York, though those will have to be confirmed by the National Weather Service.
New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said most of Upstate remains under a tornado watch through Wednesday evening. She advises New Yorkers to stay vigilant, through radio, tv or cell phone alerts about potential storms.
"You want to have real time information, tornadoes and destructive wind storms, whether they're tornadoes or what we would call a straight line wind event or a microburst," Bray said. "They move fast. We can never tell you hours in advance that it's going to hit near your home.”
Flash floods are another concern, because of the potential of excessive rainfall. Bray said there’s a 40-70% flash flood risk in communities north of the Thruway. The biggest warning for folks in that area, stay away from fast moving water.
"Half of the deaths we see in flash flooding are due to people driving their cars through running water," Bray said. "Even 6 inches of fast moving water can make it impossible to steer. And a foot of fast moving water can sweep your car. And so you it's more dangerous than it looks.”
A tornado watch for most of the state is in place until 9 p.m., with warnings popping up in some places. The flash flood watch extends into tomorrow morning.
