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Tornado hits Corfu, power lines down, Route 33 closed

By Howard B. Owens

Reports of a tornado hitting Corfu are coming in -- several power lines down along Route 33, and the road is being closed from the fire hall to Route 77.

There are numerous 911 calls coming into the dispatch center.

Trees have also been knocked down.

The tornado is moving east.

UPDATE: Eastbound Route 33 is closed and southbound Route 77 is reported completely impassable.

A funnel cloud has been spotted moving toward East Pembroke. 

Route 77 at Route 20 is being closed in both directions.

There are reports of damaged homes and cars, but no injuries reported. (UPDATE: We're also hearing now houses in the village damaged, but fire crews are shutting off utilities.)

UPDATE: The National Weather Service has just issued a tornado watch:

* TORNADO WARNING FOR... GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BATAVIA... WEST CENTRAL MONROE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK... SOUTHEASTERN ORLEANS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
* UNTIL 545 PM EDT
* AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OAKFIELD...OR 9 MILES WEST OF BATAVIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... OAKFIELD BY 520 PM EDT... BYRON BY 545 PM EDT...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. : No reports of the tornado touching down else where; it has been spotted from the Thruway.  At a location in Corfu there is the smell of natural gas. Emergency crews report that so far they've found "everybody OK."

UPDATE: 5:30 p.m.: Smell of gas at the flower shop. Also, tree limbs spotted on train tracks in the area.

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