Purported NYC tornado video is not authentic, experts say | Fact check

A June 18 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows a large tornado moving in a cityscape.
“Tornado over new york city (sic) CAUGHT ON CAMERA,” reads the caption, which also includes nature and photography-related hashtags.
The video was shared more than 100 times in less than three months.
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The video does not show an authentic tornado in New York City, experts said. It appears to have been created by a video effects artist.
Brian Ciemnecki, a National Weather Service meteorologist working in the New York City area, told USA TODAY that the tornado in the video is too large to match any recent events in the area.
He also said he wasn’t convinced the video shows New York City and added that he had never seen the video before.
Dylan Lusk, a National Weather Service meteorologist working in Georgia, also told USA TODAY the scale of the tornado compared to the city is “off.”
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In 2022, the video in the post was uploaded to the InsanePatient2 YouTube channel, which houses a collection of videos showcasing visual effects. The YouTube user did not respond to a request for comment, but the caption for the video identifies the user as a “VFX artist” and a “video editor.”
The caption also indicates the editing software HitFilm Pro was used in the clip.
Rick Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oklahoma, said the video was “likely computer generated.”
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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