NEW YORK (AP) — Powerful storms pounded the Northeast on Tuesday with torrential rain and marble-sized hail, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.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.
An 11-year-old New York girl was killed when a large tree toppled onto the car she was in. Police in Newburg said the girl and her mother had arrived home and were unloading the car when strong winds knocked the tree onto the vehicle. The mother suffered minor injuries.
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.”
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