Winds Slam Midwest, Northeast; Twister Hits NY Town
Updated at 8:14 a.m. ET: Severe thunderstorms unleashed heavy rain and strong winds across parts of the Midwest and Northeast on Thursday, grounding hundreds of flights and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.
The storms spawned a tornado that touched down in Elmira, New York, damaging a mall and a local country club, the National Weather Service said.
Other towns across eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and upstate New York also reported downed trees.“Emergency crews are responding to numerous calls, including reported fires and downed power lines,” the Elmira Star Gazette reported. “Many streets are impassable due to fallen trees and power lines, as well as traffic signals knocked out by power outages.”