Zents gives update on Oct. 16 tornado

BROOKVILLE — Tracy Zents, Jefferson County Emergency Services director, presented a further update on the tornado that hit a portion of Jefferson County on Oct. 16 at Tuesday’s Jefferson County Commissioner’s meeting.

Zents said the National Weather Service determined there was only one tornado.

“It was originally categorized as an EF0, and it is being upgraded to an EF1 which brings winds from 90 to 95 mph,” Zents said.

He added that the department has identified damage from Corsica to Richardsville. Some of it came from straight-line winds in the form of a microburst, and some from the actual tornado itself along Route 949 by Payne Lane down to Bell Town Bridge.

He said there were no injuries on the Jefferson County side and minimal damage to structures.

“Most of the damage was on the Elk County side by the Clarion River to River Road,” Zents said.

He expected an official announcement from NWS in the next several weeks.

“They just finished an assessment of the storms from the last weekend from southwest to the northwest region of PA,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of tornados in October, which is kind of rare.”

Scott North, Jefferson County commissioner, asked if there was any kind of assistance from the county for someone who sustained damage.

Zents said there’s really no financial assistance for anyone outside of their insurance company.

In other business, Karen Lupone, Jefferson County Board of Elections, said that everything is ready for election day Nov. 2.

However, the county is in need of poll workers for Barnett and Eldred townships and Brockway borough.

The commissioners also

approved motions to:

• Inform the governing body of the county’s expected obligation for 2022 with the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System in the amount of $552,694.

• Pay invoices in the amount of $1,190,832.22 for the period of Oct. 13 through Oct. 26.

• Pay the actual gross payroll in the amount of $266,330.25 for payment for the period of Sept. 26 through Oct. 9.

• Pay the tentative gross payroll in the amount of $269,240 for payment for the period of Oct. 10 through Oct.

23.

• Accept the assessment of the property tax appeal filed by Logi, LLC.

• Reappoint Ron King to a two-year term expiring Nov. 1, 2023; Craig Coon to a threeyear term expiring Nov. 1, 2024; and Karen Lupone to a one-year term expiring Nov. 1, 2022, to the Jefferson County Industrial Development Authority.

• Reappoint Ron King to a five-year term expiring Nov. 1, 2026; Ted Truman to a two-year term expiring Nov. 1, 2023; William Cooper to a one-year term expiring Nov. 1, 2022; and Jim VanSteenberg to a threeyear term expiring Nov. 1, 2024, to the Jefferson County Hospital Authority.

• Reappoint Craig Coon to a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2024, to the Jefferson County Housing Authority.

The next meeting of the Jefferson County Commisison will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the large conference room at Jefferson Place.