EF-2 Tornado Strikes Rome, State of Emergency Declared

The City of Rome is under a state of emergency after suffering intense tornado damage in the downtown area. According to initial reports, several historic buildings and cars have been destroyed.

Central New York was once again impacted by an outbreak of severe thunderstorms, which were strong enough to produce several tornadoes.

One of these tornadoes impacted Rome, with the National Weather Service in Binghamton writing, "At 3:31 PM EDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Rome, moving east at 35 mph."

It was confirmed on Wednesday by the NWS that a "strong" EF-2, with 135 mph winds, had touched down in the city.  Its path of destruction spanned 5.25 miles and a width of 300 feet. The terrifying tornado spent a whole 10 minutes on the ground.

Residents are urged to keep off the roads due to the extensive damage.

The steeple of St. Mary's Church was demolished during the severe weather and listeners of this station provided this photo.

The National Weather Service says the storm produced flying debris and was strong enough to level mobile homes and cause damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles.

According to listener Chance Porter, a car erupted in flames and the windows of their building burst when the storm system passed through.

A residential building also sustained damage during the outbreak, according to listener Nick Grimaldi, who submitted these photos.

A car was also found flipped on its roof nearby, according to Grimaldi.

Listener Sharon Ackerman also snapped a different angle of the same car that was flipped on its roof.

More reports from the area said a B-52 at Griffis Air Field was blown off its pad, according to this photo from Sharon Ackerman. The area was struck by tornado-force winds, with current estimates saying they were blowing at 79 miles per hour.

Ms. Ackerman also submitted this photo of a business across from the Rome Capitol Theater that was demolished by the storm. The theater also said its windows were blown out by the storm's intensity.

Rome Police are telling residents to stay off the road and that there shall be no unnecessary travel until the damage is cleared. If residents must travel, they are asked to avoid the downtown area, which sustained some of the most extreme damage.

Below are photos submitted by Nick Devins of the horrific scene.

Whitney Bell also submitted a photo to help illustrate how hard Rome was hit.

Mayor Lanigan says everyone needs to treat all downed wires as if they are live and report them to the utility company. National Grid also released a statement regarding the number of downed wires in the city:

Downed power lines and wires caused by storms create danger for anyone who approaches–never touch downed power lines and always assume they are carrying live electricity.  They should be immediately reported to us at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.

As of 7 p.m. ET, National Grid says there are currently 25,689 power outages in Rome. Work is currently being done to restore power and clear the roadways.

At this time, those living outside of Rome are asked to avoid the area "so we can get the emergency services to those in need," Mayor Lanigan said.

It has been a frightful summer so far in Central New York, with a historic number of tornadoes impacting areas across New York State. WIBX's Bill Keeler will hold an in-depth discussion about the severe weather during his morning show on Wednesday, July 17.

Should you have storm damage photos, please submit them via the station app below.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. This report will be updated once we hear more from local authorities, political leaders, and the National Weather Service.