A severe storm that hit parts of central New York early Sunday left three people dead and left tens of thousands without power.
The storm hit around 4 a.m. Sunday. According to a statement from Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol, a tree fell onto a residence in the Town of Kirkland, about 10 miles east of Utica. 50-year-old Shelly Johnson was found dead inside her home on Millstream Court.
Not far away, in Clark Mills, officials responded to a home on Hoyland Ave. where another tree fell into a house. Inside were a mother and her two children. In the statement, Maciol said the mother was unable to find her two daughters, and first responders later found 6-year-old twins Emily and Kenni Bisson dead.
The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado touched down near Clark Mills, with estimated winds at 95 mph, ranking it an EF-1 on the Fujita Scale.
In an email sent to families Sunday, Clinton School District Superintendent Christopher Clancy confirmed that the girls were first graders at Clinton Elementary School. Clinton schools will be closed Monday due to the storm.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for 32 counties across upstate New York due to the storms.
“Our hearts break for the tragic loss of life during last night’s storms, and my administration has been in touch with local elected officials offering support,” Hochul said in a statement. “State emergency response personnel are already on the ground providing resources and support as we work to recover from this severe weather and restore power quickly. I urge all New Yorkers to stay weather aware and take precautions to stay vigilant and safe as extreme heat and severe weather are expected to continue impacting the State over the next couple of days.”
A tree lays across the road in Clark Mills, in Oneida County after a storm moved through the area in the early hours of June 22, 2025.
In its aftermath, the storm left nearly 60,000 homes and businesses without power. Most have their power back on as of Sunday evening.
The storms were part of a warm front moving across central and northern New York, bringing high heat and humidity to the region for much of the next week. The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Onondaga and Tompkins counties until 8 p.m. Monday, and a Heat Advisory for the entire region until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
