Busti, NY

A funnel cloud first touched ground at the town of Clymer, NY; occasionally lifted off as it moved east, razing parts of the towns of Harmony, Busti, Kiantone, and Carroli; before expiring at Poland, 26 miles from where it first hit ground. It stayed on the ground about a fourth of the time with at least half of the touchdown during the last third of the 26-mile distance when it swerved to the northeast. The width varied from 150 feet to a quarter of a mile.  
 
About 70 homes in Chautauqua County were damaged. Of these, 21 were destroyed, 11 suffered major damage, and 38 suffered minor damage. Eight house trailers were included in the number of homes destroyed. About 10 persons were hospitalized for injuries, eight of which were minor, and two could be considered serious. County officials were amazed that there were no deaths. Thousands of trees were felled. Power lines to thousands of homes were severed. The damage was set at 3 to 4 million dollars. This does not include damages to cars, livestock, personal belongings, a church, several businesses, which may increase the total cost by 15 to 25 percent.
Source: NCDC Storm Data: May 1985; Volume 27, Number 5