ROME, N.Y.— Jennifer Piolo shared that within a span of just 20 seconds, her family in Rome experienced significant losses due to what the National Weather Service has labeled as the most severe tornado to hit Oneida County in at least three decades. More than 10,000 people in Rome are currently without power, with residents likening the area to a ‘war zone’.
Piolo recounted that on Tuesday afternoon, the weather quickly transformed from what appeared to be an ordinary thunderstorm. An emergency alert prompted her to seek shelter. As she glanced outside, she witnessed a tree being swept across her front yard, leading her to urgently call out to her daughter Lily, who was the only other person at home with her at the time.
They sought refuge in the basement, but the powerful winds, reaching speeds of approximately 135 mph, caused a window in the laundry room to shatter. Piolo’s primary focus was on protecting her daughter, utilizing a 12-pack of paper towels as a shield for them both while huddled in the bathtub.
The intense sound of the tornado striking was described by Piolo as akin to someone gripping her house with vice grips, causing it to squeal in a way she had never heard before. Upon emerging from the basement just 20 seconds later, they discovered that nearly all their possessions had been flung yards away across the grass. Their four-wheeler was tossed like a toy, dragging the stairs of their second-story deck along with it, while their RV had collided with their car in the driveway after being displaced from a parked position 40 feet away.
Piolo’s husband hurried home, navigating through rooftops torn from structures that were raining down onto the streets of Rome. The city faced widespread devastation, with numerous buildings left in ruins.
Despite the extensive damage, experts expressed relief and surprise that there were no reported injuries in Rome. Mark Pellerito, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Binghamton, emphasized the remarkable absence of deaths or injuries considering the scale of the disaster.
Further assessments concluded that the EF2 tornado likely originated near the Piolo residence close to Jay Street and Muck Road. The aftermath of the tornado left a trail of destruction throughout the city, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to label it as the most catastrophic event in Rome’s history.
Various structures suffered damage, with parts of houses being propelled at others like shrapnel, the Patriot Wall mural on Dominick Street being torn down, and cars being buried under piles of bricks. The iconic steeple of St. Mary’s Church collapsed into the building, altering Rome’s historic skyline. The current owner, the Kabari Wellness Institute, noted that they had sought refuge in the basement during the tornado’s impact, only to emerge to find their business destroyed.
Community efforts and a touch of humor have provided solace for the Piolo family, who found a way to laugh amidst the devastation, joking about Jennifer’s ability to throw a memorable birthday party in their backyard, which now resembled a scene from a war zone.