Thursday’s storm caused a tree to fall on several cars along East 19th Street in Brooklyn. (William Miller)
A powerful storm toppled power lines and trees Thursday, leaving hundreds of thousands of New York residents in the dark and claiming at least one life.
Gov. Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Chemung County after a reported tornado touched down there.
A state of emergency and curfew are in effect until 8 a.m. in Elmira, with only emergency vehicles allowed on the streets while fallen trees and power lines were being cleared, county officials said. A shelter was set up at the Elmira Free Academy for residents who didn’t want to stay in homes without power.
National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Nicosia said a helicopter was being dispatched to the area to assess the damage and determine if it was a tornado.
Due to the storm threat, Cuomo canceled his Thursday plans to fly to events upstate.
The storm brought thick, ominous clouds over New York City, and rain and heavy winds followed.
A prosecutor with the state attorney general’s office was struck by scaffolding and bricks after lightning zapped a church steeple in Brooklyn.
Richard Schwartz, 61, was walking home near the Christ Church on Clinton Street in Cobble Hill at 8 p.m. when the bolt loosened masonry that sent the scaffolding tumbling, cops said.
The antitrust investigator was rushed to Long Island College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It appears that there was a lightning strike that struck the steeple of the building,” said FDNY Deputy Chief Vinny Mandela. “It knocked several big blocks down.”
Schwartz’s stunned ex-wife arrived at the scene and said she was preparing to tell their 21-year-old daughter of his death.
“She doesn’t know. I’m leaving in a few hours to drive up [to Vermont] and tell her. It’s going to be devastating news,” she said.
The storm’s heavy winds also caused a tree to fall on several cars along East 19th Street in Brooklyn.
The storm’s approach coincided with Con Ed and its workers reaching a tentative agreement to end a weeks-long standoff.