Albany, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul this weekend requested federal disaster assistance as communities across Upstate New York recover from severe thunderstorms that hit the region last week.
President Joe Biden will now determine whether to issue an emergency declaration, which would unlock federal dollars for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
Up to $5 million in aid would be shared across 15 counties — Chemung, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Ontario, Oswego, Saratoga, Schuyler, Steuben and Warren.
A powerful line of thunderstorms struck the region last Tuesday, knocking out electric service to hundreds of thousands of customers.
The city of Rome was hit especially hard. An EF2 tornado — with peak winds of 135 mph, as fast as those of a Category 4 hurricane — toppled two church steeples, crushed brick walls and sent trees onto homes.
A slightly weaker EF1 tornado touched down in nearby Canastota, causing the only death linked to the storms. An 82-year-old man …