Over two dozen buildings collapse in Oswego County under weight of snow, New York
Over two dozen buildings have collapsed across the state of New York due to heavy lake effect snow affecting the region from February 14 to 19, 2025. At least 26 buildings collapsed in Oswego County, while a Fire Department building collapsed in Oneida County on February 22.
Shipping and receiving building collapse in Barneveld on February 22, 2025. Image credit: Barneveld Fire department
At least 26 buildings collapsed in Oswego County, New York, as heavy snow accumulated on roofs following a lake-effect snowstorm that deposited over 1.8 m (6 feet) of snow in one week in some areas.
Heavy lake-effect snow began accumulating on February 14 and continued through February 19, leading to roof collapses across the county. By February 19, Palermo recorded the highest weekly snowfall total at 2.01 m (79.1 inches), while Minetto reported 1.42 m (55.8 inches).
Oswego City recorded a snow depth of 51 cm (20 inches) on February 19, the highest measured in the city so far this February, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Structural collapses were also reported in other parts of the state as the lake-effect snowstorm brought significant snowfall to multiple counties.
Accumulated snow also caused part of the Barneveld Fire Department’s building to collapse in Oneida County at around 17:22 local time (LT) on February 22. Fire station members had reported hearing popping sounds at around 15:00 and discovered structural damage near the truss area.
Although members initially attempted to stabilize the structure by removing snow from the roof and moving equipment outside, it was soon determined to be too unstable, and all personnel were evacuated before the building collapsed.
The shipping and receiving building of a business complex collapsed with an active propane leak on February 18. Firefighters responded to the scene after receiving calls at around 18:16 LT from Trenton Highway Crews.
The town of Trenton was under a storm emergency on February 17 and 18 due to heavy snow accumulation. A countywide state of emergency was also declared for Oswego County by Legislature Chairman James Weatherup that lasted till 17:00 LT on February 19.
The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) deployed a team specializing in structural collapse response.
The team began working with the Oswego County Fire Coordinator’s Office, Volney Fire Department, and the county’s technical rescue team on February 20, rescuing a man from a collapsed shed on County Route 176 in Volney.
Oswego County Fire Coordinator Shane Laws stated in a news release that most of the collapses involved businesses and advised residents to call 911 if they believed their homes were at risk. Crews across the state continue to clear accumulated snow from the roads.
References:
1 Local Officials Provide Update on Lake Effect Storm Response – Oswego County – February 21, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
That is crazy footage. So what we used to do, what you must do, is put up heating cables, on the last one or two feett of roof, and gutters. IN THE FALL. Plug in and leave on all winter. Will keep ice from forming on the eves, ice backups which cause water infiltration into the house, and keep your gutters from getting ripped off by the weight of the ice. People don’t prep their houses for a NY winter. They think a shovel is all you need. Heating cables are not that costly. Heavy melted snow that is now solid ice? THAT WEIGHT on your roof? A REAL problem. Ya’ ain’t gonna be able to shovel ice off. Metal roofs are the best for upstate NY winters. Snow will slide off once temps come up. Should be in building code.
Thank you! It is interesting to learn something about culture through weather news as well.
Great reasoning. yeah!