July 16, 2024, is a day that Rome residents will never forget, having seen an EF2-level tornado rip through the city. The devastation has created a great impact on the city and its inhabitants. One local business had been in its new location for only a couple of months before the tornado hit.

Steve Snegon is a tattoo artist and the owner of E98 Art Studio in Rome. He said he was inside his building when the tornado hit.

“It was crazy," he said. "I got up and literally like standing in circles, trying to figure out where to go. I knew what was happening, but I was just trying to process it all at the same time because I was, like, 'There is no way this is happening, I’m going to die in this building right now.'” 

Snegon and his fiancé moved into their new location in Downtown Rome in April. Damage from the tornado has forced them to close their doors.

“So this was like a waterfall, like literally was a waterfall, just pouring, pouring, pouring. I want to be back open for September, that’s my goal anyway, so hoping,” Snegon said.

“Everything has turned into garbage that was important,” said Moria Egan, the administrative director.

In the room where they hold their art classes, Egan says they are just trying to salvage what’s left.

“We have almost about $20,000 worth of damage that we are responsible for ourselves. We, unfortunately, had an insurance snafu in our move over here, so we are without insurance,” Egan said.

The city of Rome and Oneida County partnered to create a Rome Business Emergency Fund. Egan said they were approved for the preliminary part through the city and are now waiting on the next steps.

“This is real life, like, this is our life and it’s been traumatized,” Egan said.

They are selling merchandise, including shirts Egan designed, as a keepsake for what they experienced.

“Display of mayhem, if you will,” Snegon said.

He has used his creative mind to showcase the destruction.

“I mean, this is history, you know, in this town. So we got a couple of the bricks from across the way there. These are some things from across the way there. These are some things that were on the front counter that got fired back here. The calendar, just twisted medal that was from the back. This is our sign, the E98, the electric sign out front,” Snegon said.