Wild wind rips through Western New York

PENFIELD, N .Y. (WHEC) — Wild winds ripped through Western New York, causing massive power outages.

A tree toppled over in Penfield along Five Mile Line Road, taking power lines and utility poles with it. Lisa Murdock, who lives in the area, heard the tree crash. When she walked outside, it was in her front yard.

"I was like wow, that was a really loud sound. I walked out front and there it was,” Murdock told News10NBC.

Murdock says she was in her back yard when a gust of wind hit just right. She heard a crackle, and then a crash.

"I heard a guy say, I figured one of these days it was going to come down, with all these strong winds, especially now with everything melting off that means the ground is wet and saturated so everything is going to tip over," she said.

Murdock’s home is along Five Mile Line Road on the corner of Harmon Road. Everyone on that strip lost power. Another neighbor says the utility pole that snapped was just put up last summer.

"And some of them are a lot taller than the older poles, and I wondered if with all these inline winds we’re getting now if having taller power poles was really a good idea,” Sandra McGowan said, who lost power.

Murdock and McGowan both said when the weather acts up with crazy wind, it’s the trees around them that create concern.

"There were a couple of dead ones along the side here, and I had all of those taken down. But, I’m seriously considering having the one in the front yard also taken down,” McGowan added.

County Executive Adam Bello says the travel advisory that was set for Monroe County Sunday will be lifted at 5 a.m. Monday.
The county also wants to remind people to treat dark traffic lights as a four-way stop as crews continue to work on restoring power.