Severe thunderstorm hits New York and Ontario, leaving 42 000 without power

A fast-moving severe thunderstorm swept through New York, US on Sunday, October 15, 2017, leaving more than 32 000 homes and businesses without power. In neighboring Canada, the storm caused a blackout for more than 10 000 customers.

Shortly after 16:00 local time Sunday, winds up to 101 km/h (63 mph) accompanied by rain and thunderstorms swept through the region downing trees and power lines.

In Wheatfield, Niagara County, a bounce house with children inside was sent airborne by strong winds at The MAiZE on Niagara Falls Boulevard. According to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, the bounce house traveled approximately 15 m (50 feet) from its original location.

Several children were treated for minor injuries at the scene. A 76-year-old woman, who was standing next to the bounce house, was struck and dragged about 6 m (20 feet) by the bounce house. She was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

In Katava, a suburb in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada power outages affected 10 000 customers around 18:30 local time.

Several other areas of the region were also affected, with 1 200 homes reported without power in Rideau-Goulbourn and Kanata South and other sporadic outages reported in the Knoxdale-Merivale and Somerset areas.

By 20:00 local time, power outages in New York were still affecting some 25 432 customers. 

Featured image credit: Mercy Fredericksen