Cleanup Continues After Tornadoes Hit Western NY

The bad weather is gone, but the impact of this past weekend’s tornadoes will be with the communities they targeted for sometime to come.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo also officially confirmed Saturday’s tornado in the Rochester suburb of Hilton:

Tornado Details – Hilton, New York

Date: 07/25/2009
Estimated Time: 5:55 pm EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating: EF0
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed: 75 mph
Maximum Path Width: 30 yards
Path Length: 0.75 miles
Beginning Latitude/Longitude: 43.28N / 77.79W
Ending Latitude/Longitude: 43.28N / 77.28W
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Initial touchdown occurred on the southern edge of the village, just west of Hilton-Parma Road/Route 259 and continued in a northeast direction for approximately three-quarters of a mile.  The tornado was not on the ground for the entire time.  Most of the damage was to trees, however one home sustained structural damage.  Other outdoor articles, including patio furniture, trampolines, and toys were tossed about by the tornado.

Power and other utilities were restored by Monday to the majority of the 250 residents affected by the Hilton tornado, with the exception of those who had lines ripped from the side of their homes by nearby falling limbs or debris.  Utilities were also largely restored for those in Corfu and Darien.  In Genesee County, law enforcement and volunteer fire departments had been responding to dangerous conditions, particularly those that threaten or impact traffic.  Local government officials are coordinating with the impacted county emergency operations teams to coordinate cleanup activities.

Private homeowners will be forced to deal with tree and home damage themselves, unfortunately.  For those with relatively minor damage, cleanup is being done by homeowners often with the help of nearby friendly neighbors.  For those with $1000 or more in damage or cleanup costs, an insurance claim is probably warranted.  Most homeowner policies have provisions to cover cleanup, but check your policy for applicable deductibles.  If out of pocket costs after the deductible end up being less than $500, it may make better sense not to file a claim.  Some insurance companies may raise your policy rate based on claims history, which means a small claim may end up costing you more in the long run.

Rochester and Buffalo media continued coverage of the cleanup effort late Sunday and Monday.

Video reports are below the jump.

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/R News Rochester – Cleanup Crews Get to Work 7-26-09.flv[/flv]

R News in Rochester had a late report Sunday night showing cleanup work underway in Corfu and Darien. [7/26/2009]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/R News Rochester – Western Monroe County Severe Weather 7-25-09.flv[/flv]

R News in Rochester visited with neighbors across western Monroe County impacted by Saturday’s storms. [7/25/2009]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/R News Rochester – Lenhard Family In Corfu Cleans Up With Help from Neighbors 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

The Lenhard family in Corfu were one of many impacted by the tornado and associated high winds.  R News in Rochester spent time with the Lenhards, and witnessed the neighborliness that is a hallmark of life in small towns across western New York. [7/27/2009]

[flv width="480" height="360"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WIVB Buffalo Residents Grateful Nobody Hurt 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WIVB-TV in Buffalo reflected on the weekend storms on its Monday news.  One thing those impacted can agree on – they’re grateful nobody was hurt. [7/27/09]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WHEC Rochester Helicopter Footage of Tornado Damage 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WHEC-TV in Rochester was one of several western New York stations that took helicopter tours of the damage.  WHEC’s somewhat shaky raw video shows the tornado’s impact in Corfu and Darien. [7/27/09]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/R News Rochester – Helicopter Trip Over Tornado Struck Areas 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

R News also took a helicopter trip, showing storm damage. [7/27/09]

[flv width="296" height="222"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WHAM Rochester Raw Helicopter Video Tornado Damage 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WHAM-TV in Rochester is last up with some of its own “raw video” shot over the Corfu area. [7/27/09]

[flv width="296" height="222"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WHAM Rochester Cleaning Up in Corfu and Hilton 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WHAM-TV’s 5:00pm early evening news had time to spend on storm cleanup stories, this time focusing on Corfu and Hilton. [7/27/09]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WKBW Buffalo Skywarn Volunteer Talks About Weekend Weather 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WKBW-TV in Buffalo reports on a storm chaser and member of Skywarn, a volunteer effort to keep an eye on severe weather and report details to the National Weather Service. [7/27/09]

[flv width="480" height="360"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WIVB Buffalo Channel 4 Newstrackers Set Record 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

WIVB-TV in Buffalo, the area’s number one rated newscast, broke a record with Saturday’s storm as Channel 4 Newstrackers flooded the station with photographs and video of the tornado impacting Darien and Corfu. [7/27/09]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WIVB Buffalo Disorganization Post-Tornado 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

The Prysock family is still looking for a 70 foot length of their metal roof.  Meanwhile, some residents are waiting on insurance agents to arrive to assess the damage, as WIVB-TV reports. [7/27/09]

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WKBW Buffalo Tornado Safety Tips 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

Western NY’ers are well prepared to deal with our usual form of severe weather – heavy snows.  WKBW-TV helps acquaint viewers with tornado safety tips, something most in the area have never had to worry about. [7/27/09]

[flv width="360" height="240"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WROC Rochester Weekend Storms Leave Permanent Damage 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

Unfortunately, the endless summer of storms, culminating in last weekend’s severe weather, has taken a major toll on Monroe County farms in the greater Rochester area.  Once again, fruit crops pelted with hail are often destined for the juice market, with a 50% cut in income for affected farmers.  WROC-TV Rochester has the story. [7/27/09]

[flv width="296" height="222"]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WHAM Rochester Monday Wrap-Up Of Weekend Weather 7-27-2009.flv[/flv]

Rochester’s number one rated evening newscast, from WHAM-TV, rounds up our coverage from Rochester’s perspective, summarizing the damage in western New York from the rare tornadoes.  Buffalo stations will likely extend coverage another few days, owing to the proximity of Corfu and Darien to Buffalo. [7/27/09]