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Most officials agree: Town was fortunate
Last Friday's tornado touched down almost in the heart of Cheektowaga, but some good timing and its contact with mostly sparsely populated areas, kept damage to a minimum.
However, a few hundred feet in just about any direction and damage from the twister, which bounced off the ground several times, could have been much worse, say both weather service and town officials.
Additionally, a favorable series of coincidences and human reaction helped keep the number of injuries low.
Town Emergency Services Coordinator Earl Loder said that Cheektowaga was "very fortunate" with this twister.
"You look on each side of where it hit, with the mall on one side and Wal Mart on the other, plus stores across the street, there were a lot of big target areas," Loder explained.
Many residential neighborhoods were within one-half mile of the tornado's path, and several retail and manufacturing sites sit along Walden Avenue and Broadway.
Notable structures also within one-half mile of the cyclone's path include St. Joseph Hospital, Thruway Plaza, Walden Galleria, Town Hall and its campus, AppleTree Business Park, Resurrection Church and Hospice Buffalo.
From a residential standpoint, the twister bounced over the Como Park Boulevard neighborhood that was in its path, and only damaged 11 structures in the Parkside Village mobile home park.
"That's the luck of the draw," said Cheektowaga Police Captain John Glascott. "When it came down, it hit a retail area that is not as populated as the Galleria."
Rescue Fire Chief Richard Chojnacki noted that the tornado skipped over the top of Upstate Milk, located on Anderson Road. If that building had been struck, emergency crews would have faced a major ammonia leak.
Chojnacki noted that there weren't many people inside the affected structures, such as the hardest-hit building, a small Walden Avenue plaza housing a Subway restaurant and Good Feet shoe store.
Those who were inside did the right thing by evacuating, he added.
Joining Chojnacki in crediting the public's smart reaction for keeping casualties down was Judith Levan of the National Weather Service.
"As the threatening weather approached, I think most people saw it coming and took cover," said Levan. "I think people knew that there was something not right about these storms."
Chojnacki agreed, adding that people who act responsibly will likely fare better in a major weather incident.
"As the manager of Subway said, he just pushed everybody to the rear of the store and got them away from the windows," Chojnacki said. "That shows that somebody was thinking."
Levan said it is difficult to determine what kind of damage could have occurred had the tornado hit a heavier populated area or a major structure, such as Walden Galleria.
She noted that the Subway shop is located in a structure "substantially" built out of concrete blocks.
"It depends on how it strikes a building and how the building is constructed," Levan added.
Glascott said that it is unfortunate for the industrial and residential areas that were damaged, but noted it's easier to repair a damaged building than to administer to injured persons.
Among the damaged structures was a construction trailer that was sitting in a vacant lot next door to the Subway restaurant. The tornado lifted the trailer and deposited it about 50 feet away, in the middle of Walden Avenue.
Chojnacki was incredulous that only one person in his fire district was hurt.
"To get out of that with only one injury is amazing," Chojnacki said. "It was as if the timing for everything was perfect; how that came down in the middle of the street and no one hit it."
More "perfect" timing could be found at the Cheektowaga police station. The tornado hit at 3 p.m., one hour before a police shift change. This allowed the department to place additional officers on the streets by holding over officers as the next shift began.
"We brought in additional manpower both in dispatch and on the road," said Glascott.
Most of the damage in Parkside Village was to roofs and carports. Gutters were torn off many buildings as well.
"The biggest thing we look for in these storms is to worry about people first, and things second," Glascott said. "Right now, the people came out pretty good."
Town Managing Building and Plumbing Inspector Tom Adamczak said that the tornado's damage pales in comparison to the July 30, 1987 twister that struck 140 homes and businesses, causing $1.6 million in damages.
"This time around, it was easy. Who knows what it'll be like next time," said Adamczak.
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