July 1 – A New Jersey woman died after a thunderstorm knocked a tree down on a camper in Cooks Falls on Sunday, June 30.
The City of Colchester Police Department received multiple reports of fallen trees on campers at multiple locations and of a person trapped at the Russell Brook Campground, 731 Russell Brook Road, at 10:50 a.m., according to a press release on the department’s Facebook page.
On the way to the call, firefighters, EMS, and paramedics encountered numerous trees and power lines that had fallen due to a severe storm that had passed through the area. First responders arrived at the campsite to find multiple trees and power lines that had fallen and a woman who had been struck by a fallen tree.
The investigation revealed that the woman was in the camper when a large tree fell, hitting the camper and trapping her underneath, the press release said.
The woman was identified as Carol E. Luistro, of Edison, New Jersey. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people suffered minor injuries, said Steve Hood, director of the county Emergency Services.
The Butternut Grove Campground was damaged in the storm, Hood said. Many campers were damaged, but no injuries were reported.
According to the press release, the following agencies responded to the incident: Cooks Falls Fire Department, East Branch Fire Department, Roscoe Rockland EMS, Town of Hancock EMS, Livingston Manor EMS, MobilMedic EMS, Upper Delaware EMS, State Police, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Downsville Fire Department, Roscoe Fire Department, Livingston Manor Fire Department, Delaware County Emergency Services, Sullivan County Emergency Services, Delaware County 911 Center, Sullivan County 911 Center, Town of Colchester Highway Department, Delaware County Highway Department, and Delaware County Coroner.
First, it was reported that a tornado had touched down at the campground, prompting an investigation by the National Weather Service in Binghamton.
According to the report, posted on the service’s website, “A strong microburst with estimated winds up to 90 mph occurred northwest to north of Cooks Falls, near the southeastern edge of Delaware County.”
The microburst’s path was 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long in Cooks Hollow and Butternut Grove in the Beaver Kill Valley, and up along the Russell Brook drainage basin.
According to the report, “the microburst impacted two campgrounds with very damaging straight-line winds. Numerous recreational vehicles and RV units, a few tents, and at least two vehicles were severely damaged and in some cases destroyed by falling trees. Some trees or large branches were over a foot in diameter. … Witnesses reported that the winds picked up suddenly and then continued for at least five minutes, toppling one tree after another during that period.”
