Storm leaves north country with downed trees, power lines

QUEENSBURY (NEWS10)- A powerful storm ripped through the North Country yesterday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. At Garvey VW Kia, located in Queensbury, chaos ensued when high winds brought down a powerline onto a row of parked cars, sparking a massive fire.

"It burned so hot, the alloy wheels actually melted and, instantly, we got employees inside," said Shawn Garvey, reflecting on the intensity of the blaze that engulfed their lot.

Today, the focus for Garvey and his team is squarely on dealing with the aftermath. "We have no electricity, no computers. You can't open up the electric garage doors," he lamented, highlighting the challenges faced by businesses in the storm's aftermath.

The storm's impact was widespread, with reports of downed trees littering roads throughout the area. Outside Queensbury Town Hall, a towering tree was uprooted, underscoring the ferocity of the winds that swept through the region.

Despite the widespread damage, officials from the Glens Falls Fire Department reported no injuries in the area directly attributable to the storm. They confirmed that while trees had fallen onto houses, fortunately, none caused significant structural damage.

Residents like Michael Thompson, who witnessed the storm's fury firsthand, described it as akin to a tornado. "About 5:30 in the afternoon, storm came through. Was pretty much like a tornado. I watched a tree fall from the picture window on the house. Now we're here to clean up today," Thompson recounted.