August 7, 2024 — On July 16, New Yorkers across the state braced themselves for heavy rain and high-speed winds as storms ravaged upstate, central and western New York. Several areas, like Rome, N.Y., in PEF Region 6, saw tornadoes tear through trees, down power lines, flip cars, and rip roofs from buildings. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down in the city of Rome at 3:25 p.m. and lasted 10 minutes. It was a high-end EF2 category, causing winds of up to 135 mph.
PEF Region 6 Coordinator Christopher Dunham, a Registered Nurse at Mohawk Correctional Facility, was traveling home from work when the twister hit, but he was thankfully able to avoid the worst of it.
“From what I understand, the tornado just passed over me, but it had not yet touched down,” said Dunham. “But I saw a lot of the damage after. It was shocking.”
Dunham said the last tornado that Rome experienced, about six years ago, hardly touched the city.
PEF members in the area were not spared from the damage. Several lost power for 48 hours, spoiling their refrigerated and frozen food, and facilities like O’Shea Day Hab (OPWDD) sustained damage. A woman who works at the O’Shea Day Hab told Dunham she hid in a closet as the tornado rocked and damaged part of the building.
“She said she was scared and just didn’t know where to go,” said Dunham. “She’s safe, but displaced, with no workplace to go to while repairs are going on at the building. Parts of the roof were ripped off, windows were blown out.”
Thankfully, Dunham said, telecommuting has been an option for members.
Dunham and PEF kicked into recovery mode swiftly after the tornado. While the PEF Disaster Relief Fund worked to collect money to help impacted members, Dunham used Region 6 funds to purchase grocery and gas cards to distribute to members immediately.
The PEF Relief Fund started in 2019 to help members find their footing immediately after experiencing natural disasters. The fund seeks to help members during weather-related emergencies, assist displaced members after tragedies and more. Any PEF member may donate at any time, so that the fund is always ready to help when needed.
“I spent a few days after the tornado just driving around and making sure people had things that they needed,” said Dunham. “Members were incredibly taken aback at how quickly we responded and provided relief.”
For now, Dunham said that the money from the PEF Relief Fund should be enough to get members back on their feet. On July 31, PEF Region 6-9 Organizing Coordinator Jessica Carpenter and staff from the PEF Membership Benefits Program joined Dunham in Rome to distribute gift cards to additional members in need.
Those who stopped by the PEF table at the American Legion in Oriskany shared stories of the day the tornado touched down and how they handled not only their own security, but the security of their fellow members and their homes.
Amy Palmer, a registered nurse with the Central New York Development Disability Service Office, was visiting her daughter when the tornado hit. Her daughter suggested she head home immediately.
“I thought, ‘How bad is it really going to be?’” Palmer said.
It wasn’t long before she heard emergency sirens and saw messages warning of 100% hail damage. After pulling into her garage and taking care of some household chores, the storm worsened, and several trees fell onto her house. Thankfully, she sustained no injuries, but the damage done to her home was severe.
“Removing the trees cost $11,000 alone,” Palmer said. “So, I’m grateful for this little bit of assistance. Everything helps.”
In another part of town, Kathleen Riley, a psychiatric nurse with the Rome Clinc, said the storm sparked fires inside and outside the clinic. She and her co-workers were forced to shelter across the street in a nearby theatre building, where she immediately began taking care of injured community members. Yet even during the tornado, she wasn’t even thinking about her own home. She was thinking more about the people she serves.
“I was thinking about my people, because my people are homeless,” she said. “I knew one of the places that was hardest hit is where they set up their tents, their cities.”
Riley and some of her co-workers have been working out of a van that she calls a “temporary home.”
Betty Parkmond works at Mohawk Correctional Facility as a Nurse Supervisor. She said her home is relatively untouched. However, the damage to the home where she grew up and where her elderly father still lives is severe.
“We’ve lived there for almost 55 years and never had a claim, never had any damage, and lo and behold here it is and a tornado rips through it,” she said.
Estimates to fix the most significant damage are in the six-figure range.
Parkmond said that every little bit helps, especially as she deals with insurance and potential construction.
Overall, more than 30 PEF members picked up gift cards on July 31. Several members said that the most important thing right now was food, and that the money PEF provided will help.
Dunham was touched by how residents, members and co-workers kicked into high gear when their friends and neighbors needed help.
“As fast as the tornado came and went, people were out and looking for one another, conducting search and rescue. Neighbors were helping one another. The response from law enforcement was swift. Even some Canadian folks passed through to help,” said Dunham. “It was overwhelming to see such a quick response, almost like people had been through this a thousand times.”