MADISON COUNTY – As another bout of severe storms bellowed across central New York Tuesday evening, more than 70,000 upstate NYSEG customers were left in the dark, while a number of homes and buildings collapsed under the stress of mother nature’s fury.
As a result, four people – all from central Madison County where the storm had the most damaging impact – were left dead in the wake of wind gusts that flirted with 70 mph readings according to NOAA's data.
According to Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley, four homes in the Town of Smithfield – approximately 35 miles northwest from Norwich – were razed shortly after 7 p.m.
"A storm came through here and ripped a couple houses totally apart," Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley said in an informal press briefing that was held at the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department just before before midnight, Tuesday. "We believe we've accounted for all the people in all the houses.”
The scene of destruction occurred on Goff Road in the rural town of Smithfield, which is situated approximately 30 miles southeast of Syracuse. A mother and daughter were among three who died in Smithfield, family members have told WTVH television in Syracuse.
Responders implemented a comb-search utilizing area search and rescue dogs and a pay-loader and excavator to move large debris, and Madison County Sheriff’s deputies remained on the scene into Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Riley indicates that the portion of Goff Rd. that was effected was open only to emergency personnel late Tuesday evening.
Information obtained for NYSEG's outage central website indicated that at press time more than 250 Madison County utility customers are still without electricity, while statewide, 18,000 customers have yet to see service restored – most in the central and western areas of New York.
While the official classification of Tuesday's erratic weather remains uncertain, meteorologist Joanne LaBounty of the National Wether Service said that investigators would be dispatched to the Smithfield area to determine if in fact a tornado touched down.
The identities of the four people killed have not yet been released, but all victims were recovered and transported to the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office in Syracuse.
The Red Cross was also called in to help families that were displaced.
More information is expected to be released at an upcoming press conference today.
**update- according to a release from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the four victims who were killed the storm in the town of Smithfield Tuesday night are:
- Kimberly Hilliard, 35
- Paris Newman, 4 months old (daughter of Kimbrely Hillard)
- Virginia Warner, 70
- Arnie Allen, 53
Additionally, The National Weather Service confirms a tornado touched down and further details about the tornado - including its trajectory- are still being confirmed, the National Weather Service officials said.