Utility crews across the tri-state area continue to work to restore power after severe storms bringing blinding rain and damaging winds lashed the region Tuesday.

By 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, slightly more than 3,500 Long Island Power Authority customers remained without power. That’s down from more than 12,000 just after midnight. A tornado watch expired at 11 p.m. for Suffolk and Nassau counties.

Con Edison reported 5,404 customers affected around 3:40 a.m. New York State Electric & Gas reported about 17,615 at that time; Orange & Rockland reported 162 customers affected.

More customers were affected upstate, with about 32,000 utility users in eastern New York without power by 6 a.m.

High winds uprooted trees that brought down utility lines across central and eastern New York.

Heavy downpours accompanied the storms, causing street and highway flooding in locally poor drainage areas. Flooding on the FDR drive was causing extensive delays from East 125th Street to East 34th Street Tuesday night, and the Hutchinson River Parkway in New Rochelle saw flood-related delays long past rush hour.

In Yonkers, a downed tree took out a power line, leaving about 30 homes without power. Cars were under water in parts of Monroe, and there were reports of downed trees and flooded streets across Orange County.

In New Jersey, the three major utilities say only about 2,285 homes and businesses remain without service Wednesday. About 30,000 lost power at the height of the storm. The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts of 55 mph off Sandy Hook, 43 mph at Trenton-Mercer Airport and 40 mph in Morristown.

The strong winds toppled trees, which downed power lines. More than 3 inches of rain fell in Walpack Township in Sussex County and Blairstown in Warren County.

The weather looks better Wednesday into the remainder of the week, with highs in the low-to-mid 70s through Friday and partly or mostly sunny skies.

Source: NBC 4 NY

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