High Winds Knock Out Power in Northeastern States
TRENTON, N.J. (Dec. 1) - Winds gusting as high as 50 miles per hour damaged a school, felled trees and knocked out power to thousands of homes across the state Wednesday and may have been a factor in an aircraft accident at Teterboro Airport, authorities said.
A Gulfstream IV twin engine jet carrying two crew and seven passengers slid off the end of the runway as it was landing at Teterboro in blustery conditions shortly after 4:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.
The plane hit some trees at the end of Runway 24, but did not catch fire, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The extent of damage, the origin of the flight, and the operator were not immediately known, authorities said.
The airport in Bergen County was temporarily closed and traffic was diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport, said Tiffany Townsend, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports.
Earlier, in Edison, the winds ripped a portion of a gymnasium roof off the Thomas Jefferson Middle School, according to Police Lt. Matthew Freeman. No injuries were reported and building maintenance personnel were working to repair the damage, he said.
Jersey Central Power and Light reported 3,000 customers without power in Hunterdon County and 2,000 in Morris County, in addition to scattered outages in parts of northern New Jersey.
Public Service Electric & Gas, the state's largest electric utility with 1.9 million customers, reported 10,000 customers without power throughout its coverage area, which ranges from Camden to central and northern New Jersey.
The winds accompanied a strong cold front that moved across the state on the heels of heavy overnight rains. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory through 10 p.m. Wednesday for counties in the northern part of the state.
Winds were expected to diminish later in the evening as the storm system moved into southeastern Canada.