‘It was just pandemonium’: Rome neighbors still reeling one month after tornado ravaged city

ROME, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — It’s hard for Ryan Langone to relive the terror he felt four weeks ago as a tornado ripped through Rome. He was in his living room. The wind picked up; a tornado alert sounded. He rushed his boys to the basement.

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“I heard the freight train noise they always say to listen for,” he said. “My ears popped, and then, bang! I was like what the hell just happened?”

When the tornado blew through Rome on July 16, it went right through Matthew Street. Ryan’s home suffered minor damages compared to his neighbor’s home.

The neighbor’s home has been condemned, and they lost their garage.

“I emerged and that’s when I saw havoc everywhere,” Langone said. “Trees were down everywhere. As you can tell, it was just pandemonium.”

A tree fell on Scott Blair’s garage. His bay window smashed. His wood stove pipe and barbecue blew away. It’s been a lot to clean up, and he says insurance companies have been slow to help.

“They told me what they were willing to give to me, which was $10,000 short of the actual repairs,” Blair said.

He lost a lot, but he didn’t lose what matters most — his family.

“When it’s all set and done. Things can be replaced, people can’t be. And I’m thankful no one was killed,” Blair said.

Grateful for no injuries, and for new-found unity.

“When this first happened, a couple people came by and said, ‘Hey need some help?’ They brought chainsaws and helped volunteer and clean up some of the mess,” Blair said.

“People banded well together, and they’ve done a great job,” Langone said. “And I think it is important for the city to get back on track.”

It may take time, but Rome won’t be re-built in a day.

A Rome Tornado Recovery fund has been set up and anyone affected financially by the tornado can sign up here . The Rome Chamber of Commerce also set up a fund for businesses affected by the Tornado. Business owners can sign up here .

660 people have applied for personal assistance and 553 applications have been approved.
$2.1 million has been requested and $1.4 million has been approved.

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