ROSCOE, NY — The tornado that hit Roscoe and the Town of Callicoon on April 22 didn’t cause any injuries or deaths. When the Sullivan County community gathered on April 27 for a conference about the damages from the storm, they expressed immense gratitude for that fact. 

“I’d like to give thanks to God that incredibly there were no injuries caused by this very dangerous storm, not a single resident or emergency responder, and I know we are all grateful for that,” said Town of Callicoon Supervisor Tom Bose. 

While neither Roscoe nor Callicoon suffered lives lost, they did experience significant damage to property. The level of property damage still did not qualify property owners for some forms of federal relief, leading to calls for other forms of government assistance. 

Sen. Peter Oberacker, left, Callicoon town supervisor Tom Bose, Sullivan County Legislature chair Rob Doherty, Roscoe-Rockland fire department …

A devastating storm

The tornado reached levels between EF0 (with winds between 65 and 85 miles per hour) and EF2 (between 111 and 135 mph), according to the National Weather Service. 

The worst damage occurred along Hahn Road in Callicoon Center. Norris and Catherine Chumley lost three buildings entirely, and suffered extensive damage to their home. Sonja Hedlund and Dick Riseling lost an 180-foot wind turbine and suffered widespread damage to their farm. 

“Several neighbors in the middle of the night, ‘You better get out of your house,” Norris Chumley said. “I was in such a state of shock I said, ‘Oh no, it’s just a little branch, no problem.’ I saw the next morning the six-foot pine tree against our house.”

Following the tornado, local representatives including the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce reached out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to see what relief was available. FEMA responded that assistance only kicked in if a community suffered over $33 million in damages. 

“It’s impossible to reach that type of devastation, to be the beginnings of recovery,” said state senator Peter Oberacker. 

Representatives called on the state and federal governments to look at that threshold, to figure out how to get assistance to those in need. 

Sullivan County put aside $500,000 to help homeowners rebuild, announced chair of the Sullivan County Legislature Rob Doherty. Doherty called upon state and federal governments to match that amount. 

A community effort

The community response started even as the storm raged. 

Bose thanked the first responders in fire, EMS and law enforcement—”The efforts of all these individuals is remarkable”—and thanked the highway crews that kept the roads clear for those first responders to operate. 

Nate Rutledge, a volunteer with the Roscoe Rockland fire department, described how the department’s members set up a command post at the firehouse and worked to mitigate and make safe the hazards of the storm. 

“We thank as always for their dedication, many of them leaving their own homes and families that were affected by the storm to assist others in need. It’s also important to note how this community banded together. As is always the case with these events, neighbors helping neighbors following the storm, donating their time, tools and equipment to assist each other is truly what makes small towns like this great,” said Rutledge.

Norris Chumley said that neighbors showed up to help right away following the tornado, and that representatives, including Aileen Gunther and Marc Molinaro, showed up soon after to assess damages. 

“At six o’clock, citizens not employed by anybody special came to our farm to help us. The road was impassable for a bit; by the end of the day there were more than 75 residents—I don’t know who they were—helping us, bringing things for us,” said Hedlund. 

A hillside stripped of trees following the tornado of April 22.

Avenues of assistance

Further avenues of assistance are available for Sullivan County residents affected by the tornado, as announced in a press release from the Sullivan County government. 

Rolloff containers for tornado debris are available at the Callicoon Town Highway Barn, 31 Wahl Road, Jeffersonville and next to the Roscoe-Rockland Fire Station, 1964 Old Rte. 17, Roscoe. The Sullivan County Division of Public Works will keep them there until at least Friday, May 5. 

Up to $35,000 in county-funded repair assistance is available for homeowners from RUPCO; call Frank Robusto at 845/331-9860, ext. 320, or email frobusto@rupco.com.

The New York State Department of Financial Services has a disaster hotline available at 800/339-1759 for help with banking, insurance and claim issues. Damage to agricultural properties can be reported to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at www.agriculture.ny.gov/emergency-management.