Legislature Chairman and District 1 Legislator Rob Doherty
Roscoe, NY – Standing in front of an assistance center in Roscoe today, New York State, Sullivan County, Town of Callicoon and Town of Rockland representatives affirmed their joint intent to collaboratively help local residents and businesses impacted by last Saturday’s tornado.
“This is what our community is all about: helping one another in times of need,” acknowledged Town of Callicoon Supervisor Tom Bose, whose township was hardest hit by the EF-2 tornado. “As soon as the storm had cleared, I was out on the road, assessing the damage, talking with property owners, and making sure our County, State and Federal leaders understood the level of destruction we were seeing.”
“Roscoe sustained a direct hit from the tornado, which the National Weather Service (NWS) estimates contained winds as fierce as 115 MPH,” noted Town of Rockland Supervisor Robert Eggleton. “Roofs, trees and signs were struck from Dutch Hill down into the business district, including our town courthouse. We were lucky not to have worse damage than we did.”
Based on an assessment by the NWS, the tornado touched down just north of Jeffersonville, tearing a path northward near Callicoon Center, hitting the Hahn Road area the hardest, where Apple Pond Farm and an adjacent property lost entire barns, trees, roofing and a 180-foot-tall windmill. The storm then churned through mostly uninhabited forest until the Callicoon/Rockland town border, where it continued to fell large trees, rip apart roof coverings and down utility lines.
“The tornado ended its 10-mile path of destruction right behind us,” said District 3 Legislator Michael Brooks, gesturing to the hill above the Roscoe-Rockland Community Center, where local property owners gathered to receive assistance and guidance Thursday. “Thankfully there were no injuries or deaths, but there certainly was a good deal of damage, and we want to help folks recover from this devastating event.”
“While we can call ourselves blessed that no lives were lost, many of our friends and families will still require significant assistance,” agreed NYS Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther. “Our community has bravely come together during this challenging time, and I especially want to thank Callicoon Town Supervisor Tom Bose and Rockland Town Supervisor Rob Eggleton for their quick response and devotion toward helping those affected. Until every family is back on their feet and safe in their homes, I will not stop fighting for resources to expedite and ease recovery efforts.”
“I applaud the work performed over the last several days by Sullivan County emergency responders, DPW workers, local elected officials, and utility crews. Moving forward, I am advocating for State and Federal assistance to help rebuild our communities. Additionally, we need to make changes to reclassify damage thresholds to ensure that emergency aid is readily available for communities in need following devastating storms,” said New York State Senator Peter Oberacker.
“Earlier this week, I visited impacted areas in Sullivan County to assess the damage and offer my support to those affected,” Congressman Marcus Molinaro shared. “I am continuing to work with local officials and emergency responders to ensure that our communities receive the resources and assistance they need to recover and rebuild. We will work tirelessly to ensure that Sullivan County comes back stronger.”
“As a contractor myself, I know how expensive it can be just to replace a roof or windows, let alone entire buildings,” said District 5 Legislator George Conklin, who represents the Town of Callicoon on the County Legislature. “While we may not qualify for the kind of State and Federal assistance rendered after hurricanes and floods, I guarantee to the people I serve that we’ll look under every rock for aid that can ease this totally unexpected financial and mental burden.”
“I’m proud of the cooperation between four different levels of government, and I’m even prouder of all the emergency workers, firefighters, police officers and everyone else in the community who helped each other out during and after this storm,” affirmed Legislature Chairman Robert A. Doherty. “Thanks also to Congressman Marc Molinaro for joining me in touring the damage. Sullivan County will repair, rebuild and bounce back!”
What’s Available to Assist
Property owners directly impacted by the tornado have a number of avenues to explore for assistance:
- NYS Department of Financial Services Consumer Assistance Staff will be available to answer questions regarding filing for homeowners insurance from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, April 28 at the Callicoon Town Hall, 19 Legion St, Jeffersonville.
- Sullivan County Division of Public Works has placed rolloff containers for tornado-related construction and demolition (C&D) waste ONLY. They are located at the Callicoon Town Highway Barn, 31 Wahl Road, Jeffersonville, and next to the Roscoe-Rockland Fire Station, 1964 Old Route 17, Roscoe. The containers will remain at these sites through at least Friday, May 5.
- Sullivan County’s Monticello Transfer Station (91 Landfill Drive, Monticello), Rockland Transfer Station (131 Overlook Drive, Livingston Manor) and Ferndale Transfer Station (78 Lt. JG Brender Highway, Ferndale) will accept tornado-related construction and demolition (C&D) waste with no tipping fees. Property owners and contractors delivering such debris will need to provide proof of origin from the towns of Callicoon or Rockland – utility bills, driver’s licenses or other documents stating the address of the originating property are acceptable.
- Homeowners may be eligible for up to $35,000 in County-funded repair assistance from RUPCO. Contact Frank Robusto at 845-331-9860, ext. 320 or frobusto@rupco.org.
- New Yorkers can call the NYS Department of Financial Services Disaster Hotline at (800) 339-1759, open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for help with banking, insurance and claim issues. Or visit www.dfs.ny.gov for more information or to file a complaint.
- Agricultural property owners who are dealing with damage can visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/emergency-management to report it to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
- Businesses and farmers can also reach out to:
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, 845-292-6180
- Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, 845-791-4200
- Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, 845-794-1110
Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency, 845-428-7575