Severe Storm Causes Damage in Brooklyn and Queens

A fast-moving thunderstorm swept across the New York area late this afternoon, pounding the region with heavy rain and gusting winds that caused considerable damage, especially in Brooklyn, where downed trees and scattered debris blocked some streets.

One person was killed in Queens when a tree fell on a car, according to fire officials. Numerous minor injuries have been reported elsewhere.

Downed trees have also led to the suspension of Long Island Railroad service out of Penn Station and Atlantic Avenue to Jamaica, Queens. Commuters are being advised to get to Jamaica station by subway.

Two subway lines are also experiencing stoppages. Fallen trees in Brooklyn have halted service on parts of the M and L lines. L train service is suspended from the Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway Station to the Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue Station in both directions. M train suspended between the Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue Station and the Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue Station in both directions. Due to debris on the tracks at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue Station, 7 train service is running with delays in both directions at this time.

Con Edison says about 30,000 customers are without power, with the majority, 24,000, in Queens.

The high winds caused plenty of damage in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood. Branches and entire trees were knocked down. The chef at wine bar "Brook-vin" on 7th Avenue says employees and patrons watched helplessly as one tree fell on a car across the street: "There was a big tree that was toppled and landed on top of a car that, sadly, had someone inside of it. They looked to be all right when the ambulance pulled them out, but even now you can hear an ambulance going by in the backround."

Brooklyn borough historian and amateur metrologist Ron Schweiger watched the storm from his Flatlands home. "These thunder storms are usually fast movers," he said as the storm hit his neighborhood. "It came down like a hurricane. I have to go upstairs and check my animometer to see what the strongest wind gust was, but I would estimate gusts here reached close to 40 miles per hour."

http://beta.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/sep/16/severe-storm-causes-damage-brooklyn-suspends-lirr-service/