‘It looks like a war zone’: No serious injuries as massive winds rip through city blocks in Rome

Rome, N.Y. — When Rome Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan looked at his city from city hall after powerful winds hit Tuesday afternoon, he saw buildings ripped apart, two churches that lost their steeples and an iconic city mural in rubble.

“It looks like a war zone,” he said this evening during a news conference at Griffiss Air Field, which has become a command center and relief station for residents. “It takes your breath away.”

As of about 7 p.m., no serious injuries were reported, officials said. But the search for those in need was continuing, Lanigan said.

“Our top priority right now is life and safety,” the mayor said. “We have canines out there. So if there’s anybody that is injured, that we’re not aware of, and they’re looking for help, we’re out there right now.”

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The ensuing cleanup and recovery will take weeks, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said. The majority of the city is without power, including city hall, county offices and the local courthouse.

There’s a curfew in Rome tonight from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Wednesday for any unnecessary travel.

“This is a very serious time,” Picente said. “We don’t want anybody else injured seriously, we don’t want them interfering. We don’t want them to to get injured as a result.”

Tornado-force winds hit nearby Griffiss Air Field at about 3:35 p.m. The weather service reported a high speed of 79 mph.

Local officials are calling it a tornado, even though the National Weather Service has yet to officially confirm a touchdown. Those teams will do surveys Wednesday.

“The mayor was in it,” Oneida County Anthony Picente said. “We’ve never seen anything like this before in our community.”

The winds appear to carve a path from south Rome, along Route 365 and then hit parts of downtown, including city hall. Businesses and homes were hit, with winds and trees.

Officials warned to avoid any wires that were downed.

As of 7:45 p.m., about 22,000 customers were without power, according to National Grid. That included more than 10,000 in Rome, which has a population of 32,000.

People who need help should use the 211 app to find out about shelters. Those who need a ride to a shelter can get one at St. John’s Church on East Dominick Street, the mayor said. There are pet-friendly shelters available, he said.

Officials expect to hold another briefing Wednesday morning.

“We encourage everybody to please stay inside, no new travel. We really want to get the streets cleaned up and fixed up because we don’t want to see anybody get injured going forward,” the mayor said.