Clark Mills, N.Y. ― Twin 6-year-old girls and a 50-year-old woman died early Sunday morning when trees fell on their homes during a storm that slammed Central New York with high winds and heavy rains.
The two girls, Emily and Kenni Bisson, died in a home in Clark Mills, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said.
In a separate home not far away, the woman, Shelly Johnson, died when a tree crashed through her roof while she lay in bed.
At about 4 a.m., the storm slammed Clark Mills, a hamlet of about 1,600 people in the town of Kirkland.
The twins and their mother had moved to a rental home on Hoyland Avenue just a few months ago, said neighbor Jared Bowman.
A massive maple tree with twin trunks nearly 3 feet in diameter cleaved the house, crashing through the roof and second story before landing on the first floor, where the twins and their mother, Kayleigh Bisson, were.
Bowman said he ran next door to help the mother escape through a window.
“She was yelling, ‘Get my kids out!’” Bowman said. “But there was no noise. It felt very eerie and bad.”
The neighbor on the other side, Rick Carollo, a member of the Clark Mills Fire Department, woke to the storm and said it sounded like a freight train. His phone went off with a message saying help was needed at 7 Hoyland Ave., the house next door.
“I found the mother in the front window,” he said. “I had to climb a tree to get her out.”
Carollo said he couldn’t find a pulse on the one girl he could see amid the branches and debris.
Six-year-old twins were killed about 4 a.m. today when a violent storm knocked down a tree on their house on Hoyland Avenue, in the Oneida County hamlet of Clark Mills. Next-door neighbor Jared Bowman, pictured here, helped the mother, Kayleigh Bisson, escape.Glenn Coin | gcoin@syracuse.com
Emily and Kenni Bisson were first-graders at Clinton Elementary School. The Clinton schools superintendent, Christopher Clancy, confirmed the deaths to the school community today.
“Earlier today, a severe weather emergency in our community resulted in the tragic loss of life, including two of our elementary students,” Clancy wrote. “Our hearts are with all of the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy.”
Clancy said school would be closed Monday because of the storm’s impact, and that counselors would be available for students on Tuesday.
Winds hitting more than 90 mph downed many trees in Clark Mills, a hamlet a few miles west of Utica. Roads were blocked throughout the area. Utility poles were snapped in half and lay across roads. Wires dangled. The whine of chainsaws filled the air.
Nearly 3 inches of rain fell in a few hours in the early morning, and by early afternoon muddy water streamed across roads.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday afternoon that she had spoken with Anthony Picente Jr., the Oneida County executive. She later declared a state of emergency in 32 counties due to the strong storms and forecasted extreme heat.
In Vienna, also in Oneida County, two people were seriously injured when a tree fell on a camper at about 4:17 a.m. Sunday, according to Trooper Robert Girard, a state police spokesperson.
The tree fell lengthwise onto the tow-behind camper on Kellogg Road, crushing the front end and leaving people trapped inside, troopers said.
Two people were rescued from the camper by the Vienna Fire Department. They were rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
In Clark Mills, a senior center behind the firehouse has opened to help people, fire officials said.
The town of Kirkland, which includes Clark Mills, has declared a state of emergency. Residents are asked to stay home, according to the Clark Mills Fire Department.
As much as 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain were reported in parts of Oneida and Madison counties.
The National Weather Service is sending personnel to inspect the storm damage in Clark Mills.
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Trees and poles down, roads flooded by storms that hit Central New York l
Staff writer Vince Gasparini covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach him at vgasparini@syracuse.com.