Montgomery cleans up after possible tornado

Aug. 28--MONTGOMERY -- Montgomery residents on Friday were cleaning up the wreckage left behind by what might have been a tornado Thursday night.

When the storm hit the village and town, rain was accompanied by high winds that toppled many trees and tree limbs. Some fell on homes, others crushed cars and still others fell on power lines, leaving more than 1,000 residents and businesses in the dark.

Walt Pahucki's yard at the corner of Union and Sears streets was littered with the remains of half a tree that fell the night before, taking out two cars in the process. He was waiting for his insurance adjuster to arrive.

Pahucki, who with his wife owns the Montgomery Book Exchange in the village, had come home around 6:45 p.m. because he needed to print something for the Facebook Live auction event the store was supposed to have Thursday night.

Pahucki had just parked his car and gone inside when a large tree in his neighbor's yard came crashing down across Sears Street.

"I was right there," Pahucki said, pointing to a window on the side of the house. "My car was here, and my son's fiancee's car was there, and the three totaled both of them."

One large branch was still lodged in his car's right rear wheel.

The falling tree also damaged a high wooden fence around a vegetable garden.

Another large tree limb had fallen on his neighbor's roof on the other side of the house. It did not appear to have penetrated the structure. No one was home when a reporter stopped by on Friday, but Pahucki said he had heard there did not appear to be any structural damage.

On Route 211, where Orange County Airport will host the New York Air Show on Saturday and Sunday, crews were fixing a row of damaged utility poles Friday morning.

On Facebook, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus wrote Thursday night, "What is believed to be a tornado touched down in Montgomery tonight, causing power outages due to downed trees and power lines."

Orange County was one of five counties in New York included in a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday afternoon.

Steve Brescia, mayor of the Village of Montgomery, declared a state of emergency in the village and ordered all residents to shelter in place until 6 a.m. Friday. If they had an emergency, they were to call or text 911 and wait for a response.

In addition to Union Street, Brescia said Cardinal Drive, Chandler Lane and Weaver Street were hit especially hard, with live wires on the ground, which he advised residents to avoid.

Purple Martin Street and other streets in a section commonly known as the Bird Streets (Hummingbird Court, Oriole Drive, etc.) also was hit hard, and a reporter saw several tree care company crews working there on Friday.

Pahucki said a village public works crew removed the tree that totaled his car from the road around 9 p.m. Thursday.

On Union Street, Phil Callahan had a large tree limb in his front yard, but didn't need to call for help.

"I can do it all myself," he said, indicating his chainsaw nearby.

Traditionally, the National Weather Service waits for an investigative report before officially declaring that a tornado touched down.

As of mid-afternoon Friday, 849 homes and businesses in Montgomery were still waiting for their power to be restored -- 387 customers of New York State Electric and Gas, and 462 Central Hudson customers. Central Hudson was estimating all their customers would see power restored by 8 p.m., while NYSEG estimated all their customers would see power restored by 10 or 11 p.m.

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