2008 Woodie Awards
Storms sweep through N.Y. state
Joseph Gentile
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: News
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Violent thunderstorms that swept through the Mid-Hudson Valley last Friday left an Ellenville resident dead and zapped electricity from an estimated 25,000 Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. customers.
State Investigator Stan O'Dell said a large tree crushed 61-year old Robert Merrihew to death in his bedroom after crashing through his apartment's roof.
Elsewhere, the villages of Rhinebeck and Milan incurred significant damage according to Rhinebeck Fire Department officials.
Chief Kyle Eighmy said no reports of any injuries had surfaced, but described the number of felled trees as "countless."
"It could be in the hundreds," Eighmy said.
Falling tree limbs damaged four homes in the village, including a large Victorian on Montgomery Street and the offices of the Gazette Advertiser on Livingston Street. The inclement weather also resulted in the cancellation of the Celebration of Lights in downtown Poughkeepsie.
However, the National Weather Service in Albany has blamed the damage on straight-line winds, gusting to 60 mph, and not on a tornado. Tornado watches had briefly been recommended in Dutchess and Ulster Counties at the height of Friday's thunderstorms.
Freshmen and Leo Hall resident Sam Accurso said her mother called her on Friday night to alert her daughter of the impending thunderstorms, telling her to stay away from the windows and hide under her sheets. In her opinion, the college has "not prepared itself at all," to handle a serious weather emergency, such as a tornado.
"I wish they practiced a drill or told us what to do, especially because the windows are so big, they will definitely shatter," Accurso said.
In his last 5 years as an employee of Housing and Residential Life, Patrick Killilee said that Marist College has experienced high winds, but not an actual tornado to date. "It's unusual to see tornado warnings in December," he said.
"In the event of a tornado, [Housing and Residential Life] would identify areas in each residence hall at the ground or basement floors for residents to seek refuge."
State Investigator Stan O'Dell said a large tree crushed 61-year old Robert Merrihew to death in his bedroom after crashing through his apartment's roof.
Elsewhere, the villages of Rhinebeck and Milan incurred significant damage according to Rhinebeck Fire Department officials.
Chief Kyle Eighmy said no reports of any injuries had surfaced, but described the number of felled trees as "countless."
"It could be in the hundreds," Eighmy said.
Falling tree limbs damaged four homes in the village, including a large Victorian on Montgomery Street and the offices of the Gazette Advertiser on Livingston Street. The inclement weather also resulted in the cancellation of the Celebration of Lights in downtown Poughkeepsie.
However, the National Weather Service in Albany has blamed the damage on straight-line winds, gusting to 60 mph, and not on a tornado. Tornado watches had briefly been recommended in Dutchess and Ulster Counties at the height of Friday's thunderstorms.
Freshmen and Leo Hall resident Sam Accurso said her mother called her on Friday night to alert her daughter of the impending thunderstorms, telling her to stay away from the windows and hide under her sheets. In her opinion, the college has "not prepared itself at all," to handle a serious weather emergency, such as a tornado.
"I wish they practiced a drill or told us what to do, especially because the windows are so big, they will definitely shatter," Accurso said.
In his last 5 years as an employee of Housing and Residential Life, Patrick Killilee said that Marist College has experienced high winds, but not an actual tornado to date. "It's unusual to see tornado warnings in December," he said.
"In the event of a tornado, [Housing and Residential Life] would identify areas in each residence hall at the ground or basement floors for residents to seek refuge."
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