A freak upstate New York storm that killed 6-year-old twins in their beds on Sunday also left a 50-year-old woman dead just 5 miles away, according to local authorities.
Shelly Johnson was inside her Kirkland home when a tree fell into her home, killing her while she slept next to her longtime partner, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Johnson’s tragic death came early Sunday morning, when an EF-1 tornado swept through the upstate community and toppled a tree onto the nearby home where little Emily and Kenni Bisson were asleep, killing the twins and forcing their mother to escape through a shattered window.
Johnson and her longtime partner, Eddie Hickey, were in bed discussing whether to evacuate in the deadly tornado when a tree came crashing into their mobile home, Syracuse.com reported.
The pair, although not married, had known each other since grade school.
“They were best friends, on top of being together,” Tammy Worden, Hickey’s sister-in-law, told the outlet.
Friends and relatives have now set up a GoFundMe page for Hickey.
“For those that don’t know who Shelly was, she was kind, caring, loving, gentle, funny, an avid animal lover, and best friend,” his niece, Shana Schaffer, wrote on the site. “Unfortunately, not only did my uncle lose his best friend/love of his life of 25 years, he also lost his home and belongings.”
The deadly storm prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency in 32 counties due to the intense weather and the heat wave that is enveloping the Empire State.
The sudden surge struck the home of the Bisson twins around 4 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.
Their mother, Kayleigh Bisson, 37, was sleeping with her daughters when disaster struck — with neighbors hearing her screams and dashing to the battered home to help.
“She was yelling, ‘Get my kids out!’” neighbor Jared Bowman told Syracuse.com. “But there was no noise. It felt very eerie and bad.”
Both girls were found inside and declared dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
“These girls were known throughout town,” a GoFundMe account set up for the twins said. “They were a part of softball, soccer, dance, gymnastics and so much more.
“They always kept everyone smiling and made people remember what life was all about,” the site said. “They walked through life smiling, dancing, and belly laughs that lasted for days. They were incredible artists that had [a talent] for a paintbrush and some chalk.”
Additional reporting by Richard Pollina
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