Tornadoes, 125 mph Winds Slam NYC

One of those natural disasters that are always slamming New York in movies touched down in real life: Scientists have confirmed that two tornadoes tore through Brooklyn and Queens on Thursday, hitting speeds of 100 mph. The twisters tore a 14-mile-long path of carnage through New York City, taking down about a thousand trees—and many unfortunate cars beneath them. On Thursday, first an 80 mph tornado tore through Park Slope, then a 100 mph one hit the Queens neighborhoods of Flushing, Bayside, and Forest Hills. A rare “macroburst” of strong downdrafts more than 2.5 miles wide hit the highest speeds of 125 mph. As of Friday night, more than 15,700 city residents were still without power. One woman was killed when she tried to wait out the storm in her car and a massive tree fell on the vehicle and crushed her.