EF-2 tornado rips through Ontario County, damaging homes and businesses in Phelps, New York

ByRishav Kothari

An EF-2 tornado struck Phelps in Ontario County, New York, on July 7, 2025, causing widespread damage. Trees were toppled, and several buildings sustained damage.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the tornado began at approximately 18:27 local time (LT), about 3.2 km (2 miles) south of Phelps near Fort Hill on July 7. It caused widespread damage as it passed Melvin Hill, with peak winds reaching 185 km/h (115 mph) along its 2.7 km (1.7 miles) path. The tornado had a maximum width of approximately 274 m (900 feet) and ended around 18:37 LT.

The DeBoover Family Farm on County Road 23 sustained significant damage. No people or animals were injured, according to a statement from the family on social media. Footage from the area shows homes with missing roofs and many snapped or uprooted trees.

According to the NWS, damage began west of Melvin Hill Road with a few broken hardwood branches. It quickly intensified to the east-southeast as multiple softwood trees were snapped and uprooted around two homes and a barn.

While none of those structures sustained significant damage, trunks of several nearby trees were snapped. The damage continued east-southeast, north of County Road 23, where the DeBoover farm was affected. As the tornado progressed east-southeast, three more residences were damaged near the roundabout at the intersection of County Road 23 and Fort Hill Road.

The most severe damage occurred just northwest of the roundabout, where an entire roof and portions of a home’s wall were destroyed. Nearby, another roof was completely removed. A barn just south of the roundabout was shifted off its foundation, and a silo lost approximately half of its roof.

Feature image credit: Scott Barstow

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

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