What to know about Mohawk Valley cleanup, power restoration, closed roads after tornado
Kayleigh Bisson's twin daughters were killed in the tornado, and Shelly Johnson, 50, died in a separate home in Clark Mills when a tree crashed through the roof of her house.
New York State Electric & Gas and National Grid reported power outages for thousands of residents following the storms − the tornado touched down at 3:58 in Oneida County, and officials continue to monitor closed roads and will now help residents with cleanup and financial assistance.
Around-the-clock repair efforts included more than 2,500 power workers with crews coming from as far away as Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Brunswick in Canada.
Updates: Cleanup across Mohawk Valley begins after fatal Clark Mills tornado
Original report: Deadly tornado sweeps through Oneida County. Fundraiser created for family
New York State Electric & Gas reported that about 17,000 customers lost power across its service area June 22 with about 697 outages remaining in Oneida County, one in Herkimer County and 40 in Madison County as of 2:15 p.m. on June 23.
Customers who are still without power can log into their online accounts to see the time the company estimates their power will go back on, and the Observer-Dispatch data page also tracks power outages. They can also sign up for outage alerts to receive texts, emails or phone calls with restoration updates.
OFF THE GRID: United States Power Outage Map
National Grid is projecting that all its customers in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties will have their service restored by 11:30 p.m. June 24, although the company is warning that small pockets with power outages in hard-to-reach areas might not get their power back until June 25.
The storm on June 22 caused outages for 104,300 National Grid customers, but the company has restored power to more than 90,700 of them by 5 p.m. June 23, according to National Grid. The hardest hit areas were Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Lewis, Oswego and Jefferson counties.
Around-the-clock repair efforts included more than 2,500 workers with crews coming from as far away as Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Brunswick in Canada.
'This storm created an extraordinary amount of damage to our communities and to our electric system,' said Zach Butcher, National Grid's director of electric maintenance in a statement. 'We sustained more than 120 broken poles, which is a labor-intensive repair for our crews, in addition to downed wires, damaged transformers and uprooted trees on our power lines.
'Cleanup, reconstruction and restoration has been and will continue to be time-consuming, and our crews will remain out there in full force to bring service back to customers as quickly and safely as possible.'
Repairing one utility pole can take a crew as long as six hours, National Grid spokesman Jared Paventi said.
The tornado and storms also caused a lot of damage to lines in remote, off-road areas, which means moving trucks and other equipment off road and all the hazards that go along with that, he said. And the heavy tree damage has also meant that crews have to remove debris before they can begin their repairs, Paventi said.
Adding to all that is the extreme heat in which those crews are working
National Grid will distribute dry ice, frozen ice and bottled water on June 24 at these locations:
Clark Mills Volunteer Fire Department, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
207 N. James St., Rome (next to Veterans Memorial Park), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
VFW Post 600, 3835 Canal Road, Canastota, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bring along a cooler or paper grocery bags to transport the dry ice. National Grid will supply information on how to handle it safely.
As of mid-afternoon on June 23, six Oneida County roads remained closed due to downed power lines:
West South Street in Westmoreland between Fairway Drive and Deans Highway.
Dix Road in Westmoreland between Lawrence Street and Bartlett Road.
Lawrence Street in Rome and Westmoreland between Dewey Road and Dix Road.
Buck Hill Road in Western and Steube between State Route 46 and North Steuben Road.
Taberg-Florence Road in Florence and Camden between Skinner Settlement Road and Wolcott Hill Road.
McConnellsville Road in Vienna between Kimball Road and Teelin Road.
Starting June 24, the Oneida County Health Department, Department of Mental Health and Department of Family and Community Services will offer assistance and support services from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily throughout the week at the Kirkland Senior Center at 2 Mill Street in Clark Mills and at Connected Community Schools at 207 N. James St. in Rome.
Help is also available at the Oneida County Office Building in Utica.
Oneida County is partnering with the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties to establish a recovery fund for storm victims just like it did after last year's tornado in Rome.
Residents may apply for up to $5,000 to cover insurance deductibles, electrical hook ups, home security measures, relocation costs, moderate repairs, tree removal and Dumpster rentals.
Details on how to apply will be released within the next few days.
Anyone who needs help because of the storms can call the Oneida County Help Line, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June 24 through the end of the week, at 315-798-5502.
The National Weather Service currently notifies residents of weather-related emergencies through the New York Alerts notification system. But Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said he heard from people who didn't get a notification about the storms. He said he got a notification on one of his two phones — during the middle of the storm.
And he never got an alert about the tornado in Rome last year, Picente said. He talked to people who did receive the alert, but with only a few seconds to respond to the warning, he said.
The county has looked into the warning system and intends to talk more to the National Weather Service and learn more about what can be done, he said.
'I'm not certain whether or not, in that circumstance, we'd be able to give people enough time,' he said.
'I think the bigger question,' Picente added, 'is why are we getting so many tornadoes when we didn't for 20 years.
(This story has been updated with additional photos.)
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Clark Mills NY tornado cleanup, power outages, closed roads, help
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
Heathrow Power Outage Was Due to Equipment Issue Known for Years
A massive power outage that crippled operations at Heathrow Airport in March resulted from the failure of critical equipment at a nearby electrical substation, according to an official report on the incident. The analysis from the National Energy System Operator found that a buildup of moisture inside the substation's 'bushing' — insulators that keep high-voltage environments operating safely — led to a fire. National Grid Plc 's own guidance had acknowledged back in 2018 that such an issue could cause an 'imminent fault,' though preventative steps weren't taken, according to NESO.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
What to know about Mohawk Valley cleanup, power restoration, closed roads after tornado
The EF-1 tornado that created a 2½-mile path of destruction, including the death of three people in Clark Mills in the early hours of June 22, also led to power outages across the Mohawk Valley, disrupted the final days of school, and more questions from local officials about New York's part in financial assistance for storm cleanup. Kayleigh Bisson's twin daughters were killed in the tornado, and Shelly Johnson, 50, died in a separate home in Clark Mills when a tree crashed through the roof of her house. New York State Electric & Gas and National Grid reported power outages for thousands of residents following the storms − the tornado touched down at 3:58 in Oneida County, and officials continue to monitor closed roads and will now help residents with cleanup and financial assistance. Around-the-clock repair efforts included more than 2,500 power workers with crews coming from as far away as Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Brunswick in Canada. Updates: Cleanup across Mohawk Valley begins after fatal Clark Mills tornado Original report: Deadly tornado sweeps through Oneida County. Fundraiser created for family New York State Electric & Gas reported that about 17,000 customers lost power across its service area June 22 with about 697 outages remaining in Oneida County, one in Herkimer County and 40 in Madison County as of 2:15 p.m. on June 23. Customers who are still without power can log into their online accounts to see the time the company estimates their power will go back on, and the Observer-Dispatch data page also tracks power outages. They can also sign up for outage alerts to receive texts, emails or phone calls with restoration updates. OFF THE GRID: United States Power Outage Map National Grid is projecting that all its customers in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties will have their service restored by 11:30 p.m. June 24, although the company is warning that small pockets with power outages in hard-to-reach areas might not get their power back until June 25. The storm on June 22 caused outages for 104,300 National Grid customers, but the company has restored power to more than 90,700 of them by 5 p.m. June 23, according to National Grid. The hardest hit areas were Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Lewis, Oswego and Jefferson counties. Around-the-clock repair efforts included more than 2,500 workers with crews coming from as far away as Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Brunswick in Canada. 'This storm created an extraordinary amount of damage to our communities and to our electric system,' said Zach Butcher, National Grid's director of electric maintenance in a statement. 'We sustained more than 120 broken poles, which is a labor-intensive repair for our crews, in addition to downed wires, damaged transformers and uprooted trees on our power lines. 'Cleanup, reconstruction and restoration has been and will continue to be time-consuming, and our crews will remain out there in full force to bring service back to customers as quickly and safely as possible.' Repairing one utility pole can take a crew as long as six hours, National Grid spokesman Jared Paventi said. The tornado and storms also caused a lot of damage to lines in remote, off-road areas, which means moving trucks and other equipment off road and all the hazards that go along with that, he said. And the heavy tree damage has also meant that crews have to remove debris before they can begin their repairs, Paventi said. Adding to all that is the extreme heat in which those crews are working National Grid will distribute dry ice, frozen ice and bottled water on June 24 at these locations: Clark Mills Volunteer Fire Department, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 207 N. James St., Rome (next to Veterans Memorial Park), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. VFW Post 600, 3835 Canal Road, Canastota, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring along a cooler or paper grocery bags to transport the dry ice. National Grid will supply information on how to handle it safely. As of mid-afternoon on June 23, six Oneida County roads remained closed due to downed power lines: West South Street in Westmoreland between Fairway Drive and Deans Highway. Dix Road in Westmoreland between Lawrence Street and Bartlett Road. Lawrence Street in Rome and Westmoreland between Dewey Road and Dix Road. Buck Hill Road in Western and Steube between State Route 46 and North Steuben Road. Taberg-Florence Road in Florence and Camden between Skinner Settlement Road and Wolcott Hill Road. McConnellsville Road in Vienna between Kimball Road and Teelin Road. Starting June 24, the Oneida County Health Department, Department of Mental Health and Department of Family and Community Services will offer assistance and support services from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily throughout the week at the Kirkland Senior Center at 2 Mill Street in Clark Mills and at Connected Community Schools at 207 N. James St. in Rome. Help is also available at the Oneida County Office Building in Utica. Oneida County is partnering with the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties to establish a recovery fund for storm victims just like it did after last year's tornado in Rome. Residents may apply for up to $5,000 to cover insurance deductibles, electrical hook ups, home security measures, relocation costs, moderate repairs, tree removal and Dumpster rentals. Details on how to apply will be released within the next few days. Anyone who needs help because of the storms can call the Oneida County Help Line, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June 24 through the end of the week, at 315-798-5502. The National Weather Service currently notifies residents of weather-related emergencies through the New York Alerts notification system. But Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said he heard from people who didn't get a notification about the storms. He said he got a notification on one of his two phones — during the middle of the storm. And he never got an alert about the tornado in Rome last year, Picente said. He talked to people who did receive the alert, but with only a few seconds to respond to the warning, he said. The county has looked into the warning system and intends to talk more to the National Weather Service and learn more about what can be done, he said. 'I'm not certain whether or not, in that circumstance, we'd be able to give people enough time,' he said. 'I think the bigger question,' Picente added, 'is why are we getting so many tornadoes when we didn't for 20 years. (This story has been updated with additional photos.) This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Clark Mills NY tornado cleanup, power outages, closed roads, help
New York Times
22-06-2025
- New York Times
3 Dead in Central New York After Powerful Storm Lashes the Area
Three people, including two children, in Central New York died on Sunday after severe storms lashed the region with heavy rains and powerful winds that washed out roadways, toppled trees and damaged homes, the authorities said. The deaths were the result of two separate cases of falling trees in the Town of Kirkland in Oneida County, according to its sheriff, Robert M. Maciol. Deputies responded to a report of a tree that had fallen on a home in the town, which is about 15 miles south of Rome, N.Y. Inside the house, investigators found a woman, Shelly Johnson, 50, who was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff said in a statement. The authorities were called to another tree that had fallen on a home that was occupied by a woman and her two children. 'It was reported by the caller that the roof collapsed onto her, causing her to become temporarily entrapped and she was unable to locate her two daughters,' the statement said. Investigators found the daughters, Emily Bisson and Kenni Bisson, both 6 years old, inside the home. They were pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff said. He attributed all three deaths to the severe storm. Bryan Greenblatt, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Binghamton, N.Y., said that wind gusts of 58 miles per hour were reported in the wee hours of Sunday at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, and of 62 m.p.h. in the Town of Westmoreland, also in Oneida County. The storm brought as much as 3.35 inches of rain to parts of Oneida County and 3.4 inches of rain to parts of Chenango County to the south, according to the Weather Service. The rainfall was so intense that, for more than six hours, Chenango County was under a flash flood emergency, a rare alert for extremely dangerous, life-threatening conditions. Fire departments in Chenango County responded to water rescue calls throughout the central portion of the county, its Office of Emergency Services said on Facebook. Chenango County remained under a state of emergency as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, the office said. The heavy rains extensively damaged roads and bridges throughout the county, and drivers may encounter washouts or debris on the roads, the office said. In Oneida County, more than 30,000 customers were left without power in the aftermath of the storm, County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. said in a statement. 'We are doing everything we can to respond quickly and safely to the damage left by these storms,' he said.
