Chaos After the Storm: NYC & NJ Battle Fallen Trees, Downed Power Lines as Cleanup Drags On

🌪️ Storm Havoc Hits NYC & NJ: Uprooted Trees, Crushed Cars, and Power Outages 🌳⚡

NEW YORK (WABC) — As the Tri-State braces for a dangerous heatwave this weekend, many woke up to a different kind of nightmare Friday morning: the aftermath of Thursday’s violent thunderstorms.

In Queens, scenes of destruction unfolded from Ridgewood to Fresh Meadows, where uprooted trees crushed vehicles, ripped down power lines, and blocked roads. One Maspeth man watched in disbelief as a massive tree flattened his van.

“I came outside and there it was — a tree right on top of my car.”

Another Queens resident described the eerie moment:

“The lights flickered like a horror movie… and suddenly the whole tree just ripped out of the ground and crushed a truck outside.”

In New Jersey, towns like Cranford saw similar chaos. Thousands were left without electricity, and storm damage in Monmouth County forced Marlboro High School to close, with Route 79 shut down.

Cleanup crews are now racing against time — and rising temperatures — to restore normalcy.