Williamstown, N.Y. — A brutal lake-effect snowstorm dumped so much snow on central New York that more than two dozen homes and businesses couldn’t take the weight and collapsed.
The storm started on February 14 and didn’t let up until February 19, piling up feet of snow on rooftops. Some areas saw jaw-dropping amounts — Palermo got slammed with over 79 inches of snow, and Minetto wasn’t far behind with nearly 56 inches. By the time the storm finally passed, the city of Oswego was buried under 20 inches of snow — the most they’d seen all month.
With that much snow, it’s no surprise that buildings started buckling. Oswego County officials reported that at least 26 structures had collapsed, most of them businesses. Shane Laws, the county’s fire coordinator, urged residents to call 911 if they were worried about their homes. Firefighters would check on the house’s stability and, if necessary, help residents find a safe place to stay or contact the American Red Cross for support.
One of the hardest-hit places was the International Wire plant in Williamstown. The company’s CEO, Gregory Smith, said employees heard the ceiling start to crack early in the morning on February 18 and quickly evacuated. It was just in time — the roof caved in shortly after, and another large section of the building collapsed a few hours later.
Heavy snow like this isn’t just inconvenient — it’s dangerous. According to FEMA, even one foot of snow can weigh anywhere from 3 to 21 pounds per square foot, depending on how wet and heavy it is.
Meanwhile, road crews were working nonstop to clear the streets, using plows and blowers to push towering walls of snow out of the way. But even when the roads were passable, the height of the snowbanks created visibility issues for drivers trying to see around corners.
The ongoing road salt shortage made things even harder. Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup urged drivers to stay cautious, warning that even when roads look clear, those massive snow piles at intersections could easily block views of oncoming traffic.
