Severe storms topple trees, knock out power

Storm damage in NY and NJ

Powerful storms blew through the New York area on Sunday, knocking down trees and power lines. Some residents wondered if a tornado hit.

NEW JERSEY - Homes and businesses across the Tri-State Region were without power Monday after severe storms knocked down electrical lines Sunday night.

Tornado warnings were issued Sunday night for parts of New York City and surrounding suburban areas, but there were no confirmed reports that any had touched down. Still, winds of 60 to 70 mph were recorded across the metropolitan area, said James Connolly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

From North Bergen to Ridgefield, downed trees lined streets and debris littered neighborhoods. In Ridgefield, a transformer caught fire. Several streets were closed as crews worked to restore power.

In New York City, video posted to social media showed lashing winds and rain hitting two men in Manhattan.

"It was a line of severe thunderstorms, and in part of that line there might have been tornados," he said.

The line of storms bought down tree limbs across the state.

About 27,000 customers were without power in Buffalo and western New York on Monday morning and another 8,000 north of New York City, according to utilities.