Girl in SUV crushed to death as storms pound Northeast
NEW YORK -- Powerful storms pounded the Northeast on Tuesday with torrential rain and marble-sized hail, leaving at least four people dead and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. In the City of Newburgh, New York, officials said an 11-year-old girl had just returned home with her mother and was unloading their SUV when the wind caused a large tree to topple into the vehicle, CBS New York reported. The girl was extricated from the vehicle and rushed to St. Luke's Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The mother suffered minor injuries.
In the Town of Newburgh, police say a tree fell on a vehicle a woman was driving just before 6 p.m. She died as a result of the incident, according to officials.
Authorities haven't yet identified either victim.
In Connecticut, a man was killed when a tree fell on his truck, according to Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton. A teenager also suffered serious injuries when he was hit by the roof of a dugout on a baseball field, Boughton said.
The Brookfield Police Department said on its Facebook page that First Selectman Steve Dunn had "declared a town disaster."
"We ask that you remain indoors for the duration of this evening, until we can better assess damages tomorrow," police in the Connecticut town urged residents. "Please be aware that there are hundreds of downed trees, utility poles and electrical lines."
The storms downed trees and power lines across the region. Several lightning strikes led to structure fires in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Roads in many towns were impassible and some schools canceled classes on Wednesday due to the damage.
Airlines canceled and delayed flights in and out of the region. In New York City, thousands of commuters were stranded in Grand Central Terminal after rail lines were temporarily suspended due to downed trees on the tracks. Concourses were packed with passengers waiting for service to resume.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Twitter Tuesday night that he was declaring a state of emergency in Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan counties and "deploying members of the New York National Guard to assist with recovery operations."
