Elderly man dies after being crushed by a tree amid NYC storms
An elderly man was killed by a falling tree as severe summer storms moved through New York on June 6, 2026, downing hundreds of trees across the city and leaving thousands without power.
Crews clearing fallen trees in NYC on June 7, 2026 following a summer storm. Credit: NYC Parks
An elderly man was reported dead after severe storms swept across New York City on June 6. The 86-year-old was reportedly crushed by a falling tree in Queen’s Forest Park at around 20:30 local time (LT).
The NYC Parks Department received 259 reports of fallen trees across the city by 22:00 LT on June 6. A tree fell onto the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Woodside, causing traffic backups in both directions. While the tree reportedly fell onto a car, no injuries were reported due to the incident.
“Heads up, NYC: Fast-moving showers and isolated thunderstorms are popping up across the city, NE New Jersey, and the Lower Hudson Valley as a cold front moves through. The strongest cells could bring lightning, gusty winds, and small hail before they clear out quickly,” said NYC Emergency Management.
Multiple routes across the city had to be temporarily closed off due to the fallen trees, as the winds caused widespread damage.
“Severe weather has damaged trees on streets and in parks throughout NYC. Our forestry crews are out this morning addressing the damage,” NYC Parks said.
The storms left thousands without power through the weekend, with Con Edison restoring power to over 14 000 people through June 7. Over 3 500 people across New York remained without power on June 8, according to Poweroutage.us
References:
1 85-year-old killed by falling tree in NYC storm, police say – Pix11 – June 7, 2026
2 86-year-old killed by falling tree during storm in New York City park – CBS – June 7, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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