New York Tornado Almost Hit Stored Fireworks

The tornado that touched down in rural eastern New York last week nearly caused a big bang.

The owner of a fireworks business said the EF3-rated twister narrowly missed steel storage containers with thousands of pounds of explosives when it tore through Duanesburg in Schenectady County.

John Kalament of Empire State Fireworks told the Daily Gazette of Schenectady that the tornado’s path last Thursday afternoon took it past six large containers filled with up to 25,000 pounds of explosives. The pyrotechnics had been stored ahead of the Fourth of July season.

The tornado produced winds of up to 140 mph that overturned two 5-ton storage units containing equipment but no fireworks.

The twister leveled one nearby home and knocked down trees and power lines but caused no injuries.