High Winds Batter Long Island

Fierce winds blew across Long Island overnight, causing more than 100 power outages scattered across rain-soaked communities.

LIPA reported that nearly 17,000 customers were without power shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday. Some of the widely scattered outages were in Patch communities including Plainview, Port Washington, Huntington, Oyster Bay and Massapequa.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for Long Island Wednesday night and overnight Thursday, predicting that dangerous high winds and gusts up to 60 mph are possible overnight and into the dawn.

Heavy rain arrived overnight in connection with the storm system barreling toward the Northeast from the west Wednesday afternoon, the NWS said.

At 1 a.m. Thursday, The Long Island Power Authority reported 24 scattered outages across Long Island impacting some 2,400 customers. Crews were on the scene of some of those incidents early this morning, LIPA reported. That number grew to 16,740 reported by 4 a.m. as stern winds howled across Long Island and lights flickered on and off.

The heaviest streak of outages appeared to be along the Route 25A corridor. Outages were visible from East Norwich to Glenwood Landing along Northern Boulevard and stretched into Huntington early this morning.

The latest weather blast is a blow to Long Island, a region still recovering from the effects of Superstorm Sandy.

The evening's strong winds in combination with heavy rain could bring down whole trees, large limbs and power lines by morning. The conditions posed a hazard to anyone driving or walking outside overnight.

Heavy rain is possible along with fog early Thursday.

Driving conditions will also be difficult, especially in taller vehicles and on elevated roadways and bridges, until the winds die down, the weather service said.

The NWS issues high wind warnings when sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or more are forecast.