Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, May 6, 1997

A line of severe thunderstorms raced across the area early Tuesday afternoon. It produced high winds that caused scattered damage in several locations. The heaviest damage occurred on Staten Island and in Jersey City, NJ.A survey was conducted on Staten Island later Tuesday afternoon. It was determined that damage was caused by straight line winds. A roof was blown off a two family house with damage occurring to several trees and a satellite dish. Eyewitnesses stated that this damage occurred before the rain arrived from the thunderstorm. A few eyewitnesses reported seeing funnel clouds. It was determined that the damage was caused by a strong gust front about 10 miles in advance of the line of thunderstorms. The funnel clouds reported were actually small vortices called "gustnadoes." These vortices sometimes accompany strong gust fronts.Examples of damage include:For Staten Island: The roof of a car dealership at 1590 Hyland Blvd. partially collapsed and caused damage to some vehicles in the back lot.For the Bronx: A tree fell onto a house and utility cables at 5932 and 5934 Liebig Street. The roof, windows, gutters, and sidewalks of both homes were damaged.For Manhattan: The front support wall of a structure located at 327 West 112th Street collapsed.Two men were struck by lightning while on a roof in Yonkers (Westchester County).In other areas, thunderstorms produced high winds that downed trees and power lines.