ITHACA, N.Y. – Strong storms moving through Tompkins County on Thursday morning have left thousands without power and prompted a flurry of emergency calls throughout the area.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, 1,862 customers in Tompkins County remain without power in Tompkins County, according to New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG). That number was closer to 4,800 around 12:30 p.m., when the storm had just passed through the area.
The majority of those outages were in Lansing. Residents can check the latest outage numbers on NYSEG’s outage list.
The company estimates most affected customers in Tompkins County will have their power restored by 2:15 p.m., but cautioned that those estimates may change as crews continue assessing damage.
Around 11:30 a.m., emergency scanner traffic was busy across the county as first responders responded to numerous calls of storm-related damage. Calls described fallen trees across roadways, power lines and even a barn roof.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado watch for Southern Tier counties, along with much of New York State, until 3 p.m. Thursday.
Shortly after 11 a.m., the NWS upgraded several areas from a tornado watch to a tornado warning, including northern Tompkins County. The warning prompted schools in those areas to shelter in place until the threat passed.
Customers experiencing power outages or electrical emergencies can report them to NYSEG by calling 800-572-1131.
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