AN EF2 The Callicoon Center tornado, viewed from the parking lot of the Robin Hood Diner in Livingston Manor, makes its way up Hahn Road on the backside of Shandelee, Photo courtesy of Fred Dumond
Tornadoes rip homes in Sullivan
Several properties sustain heavy damage
By Manor Ink Staff
Sullivan County, NY – It was a gray afternoon with temperatures in the low 60s, the possibility of rain in the forecast. At about 6:15, the phone rang in the production offices of Manor Ink. On the line was a relative who lives in Connecticut. “You’ve got a tornado headed your way in about fifteen minutes!” he shouted.
At about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, skies darkened and winds picked up in western Sullivan County. Then, in the vicinity of Callicoon Center, an ominous cloud formed, shaping itself into a swirling funnel. It headed up Hahn Road, picking up speed and expanding at its base to a width of about 300 feet. Its winds reached a speed of nearly 125 mph, flattening trees as it made its way up the hill toward Shandelee and ripping up anything and everything in its path. At the top of the hill, the tornado reached EF2 status, a rating characterized by winds between 111 and 135 mph according to the National Weather Service.
IN THE PATH A bird’s-eye view of some of the damage sustained by the Apple Pond Farm property on Hahn Road. Photo from video by Clay Banks
Storm’s aftermath
The destruction was staggering. “There are people that have no water, no roof, the ceilings are caved in because the water came into the roof ... trees down all over the place,” Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther told Hudson News after surveying the damage.
ROADS BLOCKED NYSEG crews work to restore power after tree limbs downed lines. Sheila Shultz photo
Hardest hit were several homes on Hahn Road, including Apple Pond Farm and Renewable Energy Education Center. The farm sustained damage to its barns, the loss of its wind power turbine and the uprooting of numerous trees and shrubs. A neighbor, Catherine Stine-Chumley, said, “It was like the Wizard of Oz, with a flying roof.” A tree went through the roof of her home.
Not long afterward, a second twister touched down in Roscoe, blowing out windows in the Do Good Spirits Distillery, lifting off several roofs, damaging a police vehicle and downing trees and electrical lines. “This is very rare in Sullivan County,” said county Director of Communications Dan Hust of the tornadoes. “It hasn’t happened in many years in Sullivan County, and especially in such a mountainous area.”
Volunteering to help
Neighbors and other community members volunteered to help the fire departments of Callicoon Center and Roscoe clear debris in the days following the storms, and a GoFundMe site has been established to aid in rebuilding the buildings damaged at Apple Pond Farm. At press time, over $48,000 had been raised, well on the way to achieving the fund’s $50,000 goal. Additional donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/apple-pond-farm.
By Monday morning, the power was back on and the sound of chainsaws could be heard as the clean-up proceeded. The Ink’s production offices were thankfully spared, but many others were not so lucky.
LIFTED OFF Some buildings in Roscoe lost their roofs. Provided photo
Interviewed at the Hahn Road site on Sunday, Gunther issued a poignant plea to the state. “Gov. Kathy Hochul, please pay attention to us. I have people that are farmers. They’re not usually that rich. So we need a lot of financial help to rebuild that area.”
This story was compiled from various online news sources and reader reports.