Back in business
Thousands see their power restored./
Utilities and local governments continued their relief efforts Saturday, as outages from Wednesday afternoon’s storm were reduced to less than 5,000 customers by the evening.
Remaining outages were mostly in Albany and Rensselaer counties, according to National Grid’s map. The utility has said some sections of the region won’t be back online until sometime Sunday, however the city of Albany was expecting all power back by Saturday night.
The company said that at one point 242,000 customers in the region lost power after the storm, which a spokesman described as the hardest to handle since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. New York State Electric & Gas reported no more outages in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down at 3:14 p.m. Wednesday near Canajoharie in Montgomery County, whipping along a path 20 yards wide and 75 yards long. The estimated maximum wind speed was 85 mph., the weather service said. A storm survey team found a barn nearly destroyed, with metal siding strewn across the property and a tree toppled, the weather service said.
No injuries were reported during the short-lived twister.
The thunderstorm that hit the immediate Capital Region was accompanied by 67 mph gust recorded at Albany International Airport, the highest for an October in that record dating to 1987, according to the Na
tional Weather Service.
National Grid continued to distribute dry ice Saturday at Crossgates Mall and sites in Rensselaer County and Schenectady. During the morning, trucks with dry ice and utility workers were stationed at the mall,
but unlike Friday morning there was no long line of vehicles.
National Grid said more than 2,700 workers continues around-the-clock cleanup and restoration efforts.
City of Albany crews continued clearing downed trees and limbs, a job they were expecting to do for the rest of the weekend. To
report a downed tree or other non-life threatening emergency, call 518-4342489.
The Clifton Park Transfer Station will have expanded hours — noon to 4 p.m. Sunday —for yard waste and storm debris only. The station is for town residents only and IDS should be provided to the attendant upon arrival.