AREA CLEANS UP
Strong storms knock out power to more than 50,000
More than 50,000 utility customers in eastern New York were left without electricity Thursday night after severe thunderstorms packing high winds knocked down trees and power lines across the region.
The storms also brought heavy rain, hail and numerous lightning strikes to some parts of the area. Several school districts in Warren, Washington and Saratoga County called off classes Friday because buildings didn’t have electricity.
National Grid said most of its remaining outages Friday were in Rensselaer, Albany, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, with about 20,000 local customers still without power Friday afternoon. The utility estimated on its website that some areas may not have power restored until noon Saturday.
“We are working closely
with local officials to coordinate restoration efforts,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid’s New York vice president. “Safety is our top priority. We’re asking customers to remain aware of potential safety hazards such as damaged trees, particularly broken limbs that haven’t yet fallen to the ground.
“We also ask that drivers use extreme caution as they approach work areas, to ensure the safety of utility and other storm-response personnel.”
The storms marked the end of record-breaking heat that had settled over the area for two days, bring high temperatures at or above records in several communities. Thursday high in Albany hit 94, tying a record set in 1962. Highs Friday were only in the low 70s as a cold front moved in Thursday night, setting off the strong storms.
In Saratoga Springs, Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco said about 15 trees fell throughout the city as a result of the storms, with the worsthit area around Waterfront Park on Saratoga Lake. Scirocco said DPW crews spent much of Friday cleaning up the damage.
“It was obviously a pretty good storm,” he said. “[There was] some minor flooding because of some dirt that might have gotten washed out alongside of the road. Outside of that, everything’s looking pretty good.”
Saratoga Springs police said the storms made for a busy Thursday evening for officers. Lt. Robert Jillson said no injuries were reported, but some roads were closed temporarily until they could be cleared of debris. As of Friday afternoon, all roads had reopened.
In Cohoes, high winds toppled a backyard tree onto the roof of a home at 156 Mohawk St., damaging both the roof and the kitchen, according to fire officials.
“A tree had fallen onto the house and actually went through the roof,” city fire Capt. Jim Fennen explained Friday. “A couple of branches went into the structure.”
Fennen said no one was injured, and the tree was expected to be removed as soon as possible.
Cohoes police said a bicyclist was also a victim of the storm, but not because of any direct interaction with the heavy rain, lightning or high winds. Police Capt. Todd Pucci said emergency crews responded to a report of person riding a bike on Saratoga Street who reportedly had been struck by lightning, but when the unidentified man was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, doctors determined his injuries were not the direct result of a lightning strike.
“The guy was riding down Saratoga Street … and came off the curb into the roadway [when] lightning struck,” Pucci explained. “There was a younger girl that was outside taking pictures of the lightning. She saw the lightning and thought it had struck the guy on the bike because he went off the curb. I think the lightning more or less scared him, and he flipped over and landed on his face in the road.”