Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) – Two tornadoes have been confirmed in Central New York with others still waiting on the official ruling.
The National Weather Service said the storm in Cortland County was an EF-1 tornado, and it in Lewis County was an EF-3 tornado. The tornado in Lewis County was the first in over nine years a tornado reached that caliber.
Cortland and Lewis counties are both within very drivable distances from Syracuse, a city that is considered to be one of the safest cities in the United States to avoid natural disasters. While Syracuse was not affected, providing a local resident’s perspective was essential.
Ryan Fox, born and raised in Syracuse, has seen every form of weather the city has received. Despite that, he still had to check and make sure his hometown was safe and sound.
“My initial reaction was to check if they were here in Onondaga County,” said Fox.
While the most recent round of tornadoes did not directly hit the city of Syracuse, Fox still had a personal experience with twisters from a boy scout camp when he was younger. The tornado touched down on the campgrounds where his troop was staying.
“If you’re nowhere near it, it’s less scary than if you’re nearby where you are stuck in a building for hours,” said Fox.
Nobody was injured or killed as a result of these tornadoes, but the Central New York area has received more of them over the last few years. There have been four of them pass through the region since July 2021 with two already this year and one each in 2022 and 2021.
Even though Syracuse has been ranked as one of the safest cities in the past, residents could be concerned and reconsider their future in the city even though nowhere is perfectly protected.
“I mean, you can get hit by a tornado anywhere,” said Fox. “It’s not just here, so I mean, I don’t think it’s going to make that much of a difference. We are not every day like in Tornado Alley.”
Central New York residents are advised to take all tornado watches and warnings safely, and seek shelter whenever necessary.
