Severe thunderstorms packing strong winds swept through a number of Northeastern states on Tuesday evening, with one child dying at a Maryland summer camp and a tornado killing four people, including a 4-month-old baby, in an upstate New York town, NBC News reported. Additionally, numerous homes were destroyed, leaving nearly 200,000 without power Wednesday morning.
A violent tornado, carrying winds of about 100 mph, blasted through Smithfield, near Syracuse, N.Y., destroying four homes and damaging another three buildings, as well as a barn, Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley said at a news conference Wednesday after touring the aftermath. Nearly 56,000 utility customers in central and northern New York were still without power early Wednesday
Tuesday's tornado could prove to be the deadliest ever in New York state, with the last twister hitting Madison County back in 2009, according to the National Weather Service. "Killed in the weather event were Kimberly Hillard, 35, and her 4-month-old daughter, Paris Newman; Virginia Warner, 70; and Arnie Allen, 53, whose home was lifted from its foundation. One of the homes was thrown about 150 yards, Riley said," NBC News reported.
The scene of destruction in Smithfield was described by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as if "a bomb exploded." "When there's a loss of human life like in this situation, then nothing else matters," Cuomo said. "Houses we can replace. Buildings we can replace. When you lose a 4-month-old baby, there's no damage like that."
In a separate incident in Maryland, around 100 children were in an outdoor pavilion at River Valley Ranch, a Christian camp north of Baltimore, when the storm struck. Although organizers tried to get all the children to a safe shelter, one of the nine children hurt died from their injuries. "Our staff noticed a storm that was quickly approaching and immediately began moving the campers from the pavilion to the nearest secure building," said a post on the camp's Facebook page. "The storm came upon them in a very quick and severe manner before all the children reached the building."
All the victims, who were confirmed to be 13 or younger, have been taken to hospital for treatment, Lineboro Volunteer Fire Department told the Baltimore Sun. Their identities were not released.
The National Weather Service said three small tornadoes touched down in northeastern Ohio, causing minor damage, the Associated Press reported. In New Jersey, nearly 15,000 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday.
