Updated 12:20 PM
Syracuse Fire Dept. responds to report of power line down on Herriman St.
SYRACUSE -- Traffic picked up Thursday morning on Syracuse police and fire radios as the Onondaga County 911 center dispatched emergency crews to a number of reports of wires and tree limbs down. Fierce winds ripping through Central New York blew down trees and power lines, at one point leaving more than 23,000 people without electricity.
The photo accompanying this story was taken on Herriman Street as Syracuse firefighters responded to a call of downed electrical wires. Action News also heard a number of calls of tree limbs down in the Strathmore neighborhood, the 200 Block of Cambridge Street, as well as Robinson Street.
Onondaga County 911 says that by 11:00 AM they had received about 550 calls. During a normal day shift (7:00 AM-3:00 PM) they usually handle between 550-600 calls. We are told that approximately two thirds of the calls were for wires down, trees and tree limbs down, and other weather-related hazards.
Authorities say there are no reports of any serious injuries as winds gusting to more than 30 mph were reported throughout the region. The National Weather Service is issuing a wind advisory warning that gusts are likely to exceed 45 mph in some areas of the state, and could top out at near 60 mph in areas prone to high winds.
National Grid is reporting thousands of homes region-wide are without power as a result of these high winds, although that number is steadily declining as power is slowly restored. The company says it expects to have power fully restored by Thursday afternoon.
If you have any photos of large trees, limbs, or wires which have been knocked to the ground, feel free to send them in to Action News by emailing us at news@cnycentral.com. We may use some of your submissions in our newscasts and here at CNYcentral.com.
