State of emergency declared after severe weather hits upstate; threat for Westchester

The National Weather Service today issued an alert for between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the possibility of thunderstorms that may be severe with damaging winds and heavy rainfall. The Weather Service also forecast continuing heat index values in the 90s for today and an 80% chance of rain. The Westchester weather, however, was not expected to reach the scale of what impacted areas in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, including the City of Rome and areas in Madison County, where one or more tornadoes were believed to have touched down. Three tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Warren and Hamilton Counties.

The weather upstate prompted Gov. Hochul to declare a State of Emergency throughout New York state today. The governor traveled to the upstate city of Rome to inspect the damage there. One fatality was confirmed in Canastota, New York. About 30 structures were damaged or flattened in Canastota. In Rome, 22 buildings were damaged or destroyed. A B-52 bomber weighing about 185,000 pounds was tipped onto its side at Griffiss Air Force Base.

“With possible tornado touchdowns across the state, we are standing ready to assist localities however necessary as severe weather continues to move across the state,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers should be sure to monitor their local forecasts and prepare for hazardous travel and other impacts from these storms.”

More than 170,000 customers in Upstate New York, particularly in Central New York, Mohawk Valley and the Southern Tier, were without power as of noontime due to extreme weather. Hochul’s office reported that damage assessment, repair and restoration crews from the utility companies are working to minimize and repair any impacts to energy sector infrastructure, and the Department of Public Service is in direct contact with utility operations leadership and tracking utility response and restoration efforts.

The state’s Department of Transportation reported that crews are patrolling roads, monitoring flood conditions and clearing downed trees.