Destructive Winds Pound Tri-State Area

An extremely powerful cold front moved into the area Sunday, packing damaging winds that tore off roofs, uprooted trees and knocked down power lines in the tri-state region.

Gusts of 60 mph were reported in the area at about 5:30 a.m. this morning, according to Storm Team 4. The force of the winds had subsided by Sunday afternoon.

Winds knocked out electric power to as many as 63,000 customers in New Jersey and New York, utility officials said..Service was restored to nearly half of those customers by 5 p.m., officials said.

 A man and his 6-year-old daughter escaped injured Sunday morning when a tree toppled into their Newark home. The tree crashed through a bedroom window and nearly landed on top of Steven Lloyd and his daughter Meilan. Lloyd used his body to shield Meilan from falling debris.

In the Howard Beach section of Queens, an unoccupied house toppled over because of the winds, authorities said.

In Brooklyn, a construction site in the Park Slope neighborhood partially collapsed, fire officials said. It was not immediately clear if the wind caused that collapse.

No injuries were reported in either accident, authorities said.

The winds were so strong that would-be visitors to the Statue of Liberty were turned away.

“Due to the winter storm with unsafe harbor conditions, the park will remain closed on Sunday April 3 until further notice," the Parks Department said about the statue in a statement.

Unseasonably cold temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees are forecast in the region Sunday. The wind chill will make it feel like the dead of winter -- with chill temperatures in the 20s, Storm Team 4 said.

Snow squalls will form Sunday morning in the northern suburbs. Strong wind gusts will likely continue and cause whiteout conditions for motorists in the area.

The winds are expected to subside by Sunday afternoon, but more winter-like weather will likely affect the region Monday.

Temperatures will be cold enough Monday for snow to begin to develop in the morning hours, but it will likely turn to rain as the mercury rises in the afternoon. No snow accumulations are expected in the city, Storm Team 4 reported.

The cold temperatures will continue through Wednesday as a cold Canadian high pressure system moves across the region. Thursday will see highs in the mid to high 50s, temperatures will drop to the 40s again on Friday and Saturday.

Contact Us