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Gusty Winds Topple Trees, Branches, Power Lines, Make Mess Of Roads

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A high wind warning was in effect for much of the day after Wednesday's nor'easter brought torrential rain that knocked down trees and flooded streets.

The damage was widespread, with similar scenes from Long Island to New Jersey.

Smithtown Storm Damage
High winds blew this piece of outdoor furniture into a pool in Smithtown on Oct. 17, 2019. (credit: Christine Manikas)

Wind gusts reached 50 miles an hour around 8 p.m. Wednesday.

In Brooklyn, a large tree fell and crushed two cars on Avenue K and East 18th Street in Midwood. The tree blocked the street.

"It's upsetting of course. You don't want anyone hurt, and then the damage. Thankfully, it didn't happen on my house," said Midwood resident Mel Girscheck.

The Parks Department told CBS2 the tree had been marked for removal weeks ago, but Mother Nature did the job instead.

The driver of one of the two crushed cars told CBS2's Jessica Moore's she's thankful no one got hurt and she has insurance to cover the damage.

The Parks Department spent hours chopping up and removing the trees.

There was a close call on Long Island where a huge tree nearly toppled onto a house in Rocky Point, missing the bedroom by mere inches.

In Amityville, a utility pole toppled across West Oak Street, causing a building under demolition to collapse.

In Greenlawn, a massive tree bent over, blocking Lake Road. Branches and yellow caution tape kept cars from crossing it.

Commack Storm Damage
Heavy winds knocked a tree branchy onto a pool cover and knocked over a gas grill on Oct. 17, 2019. (credit: Christine Hassett)

A back yard in Commack was turned upside down. The wind not only knocked over a tree onto a pool cover but a heavy grill.

Outdoor furniture wound up in the a pool in Smithtown.

Greenbelt Parkway in Holbrook appeared to be impassable, and a home in Medford was blocked by an uprooted tree.

The storm also knocked over boats on the water in Mastic, some even sinking. Riviera Drive was more of a river than a road.

It was a rough commute all around. In Rockville Centre, more roads flooded, making it tough for cars to get through.

Reporting Power Outages:

Nassau County wasn't spared, either. A large tree came down on Clinton Road and Stewart Avenue in Garden City, as did another on Sunrise Highway in Freeport.

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Sher Bates came to check out her husband's boat in Babylon Village. She spent some time pumping water out for it to be ready to potentially take on more water Thursday.

"I know the tides run high here in Babylon Village south so that's why I came dow to check it, before I head to work today," she said.

The storm left its mark all over Long Island. Landscaper Jimmy Rodriguez was hard at work to clear out as much as he can on one homeowner's front lawn.

"It's going to be a hard day today, for all the landscapers, it's gonna be a real hard day for them," Rodriguez said.

In New Jersey, soaking rains and strong winds also caused trouble.  One homeowner in Hawthorne had a bad sense of deja vu.

Floyd Oakley says just two weeks after his father finished repairing extensive storm damage on the house, the nor'easter targeted his chidhood home once again.

"He woke up in the middle of the night, and he heard a loud crash, a branch coming off the tree. The crash was not really on the roof, but into the bedroom where I actually used to sleep," he said.

The tree sliced through the roof over Oakley's bedroom, sending rainwater pouring through gaping holes in the ceiling.

"I've seen many storms, but this one in this area is probably one of the worst I've seen in years," said Brenda Arci.

In Glen Rock, strong winds uprooted this tree and sent it toppling over onto a house on Edgemont Road.

A tree fell onto a home in Linden, damaging a car and taking power lines with it.

Utility crews are working to restore thousands of power outages in Suffolk and Nassau counties, as well as Essex and Morris.

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