Powerful Storm Kills Four In Madison County

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]Four people died as a result of a wind storm that tore through a rural area between Syracuse and Utica.

The Syracuse Post-Standard website syracuse.com reported four homes were destroyed in Madison County shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The area of greatest devastation appeared to be in the town of Smithfield, about 30 miles southeast of Syracuse.

According to the newspaper, Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley said the "storm came through here and ripped a couple houses totally apart."

Significant storm damage was reported across upstate New York.

Thousands of utility customers remained without electric service this morning.

NYSEG reported nearly 20,000 customers were without power early today. Some of the utility's customers in Broome and Tioga counties lost electric service for a time because of storm-related problems but power had been restored for most of them.

About 300 NYSEG customers in Delaware County and 150 customers in Chenango County were without electric service.

The company reported almost 11,000 Tompkins County customers were without power this morning.