Powerful Storm Blamed For At Least 2 Deaths, Including 11-Year-Old Girl, As High Winds Cause Damage Across Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After a sticky, summer-like day, a powerful front bore down on the Tri-State Area, bringing with it rain, hail, and heavy wind.
The inclement weather was also blamed for at least two deaths in Orange County, New York.
In the City of Newburgh, officials said an 11-year-old girl had just returned home with her mother and was unloading their SUV when the wind caused a large tree to topple into the vehicle. The girl was extricated from the vehicle and rushed to St. Luke's Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
In the Town of Newburgh, police say a tree fell on a vehicle a woman was driving just before 6 p.m. She died as a result of the incident, according to officials.
Authorities haven't yet identified either victim.
As of midnight, PSE&G New Jersey reported almost 20,000 customers without power, Con Edison reported over 6,000 customers without power, PSEG Long Island reported over 1,000 without power, and JCP&L reported over 55,000 without power.
To help aid in the recovery, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a State of Emergency in Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, and Sullivan Counties. The governor also urged all drivers to stay off the roads in order for crews to get roadways cleared and safe as soon as possible.
Officials in Dutchess County issued an emergency order restricting travel in the southern area of the county where downed trees and roof damage was reported across the area.
In Newburgh, the owners of a popular Jamaican restaurant say they were in shock after the roof of their business blew off.
The evening rush was an especially nasty one in New Jersey, where drivers dealt with rain, thunder, and lighting.
While navigating closed streets, police in Paramus directed traffic away from Oradell and Forest Avenues because of two fallen trees, one which brought down wires.
Wind even snapped a utility pole in half.
In HoHoKus, a downed tree limb apparently sparked a transformer fire while a family in Montclair got the scare of their life when a tree came crashing into their home.
"I hear this humongous like, noise, and I hear like, a bomb," homeowner Julia Frances said. "It was like a bomb."
In Glen Ridge, a man had to be rescued after a massive tree was uprooted from the property of an elementary school and crushed his car.
The conditions caused chaos in New York City, sending scaffolding swinging into the air and into a building on Manhattan's West Side.
Another just like it was barely hanging on, dangling in SoHo as trees smashed into parked cars across all five boroughs.
Passengers were frustrated at Grand Central Terminal, where several Metro-North lines were suspended for over an hour due to the powerful storms.
Delays were reported at area airports due to the storm. Click here to check current airport conditions.
The temperature dropped by 20 degrees as the storm blew through, Quinn reported.
