On July 25, 2025, a fierce storm caused significant damage on one block of Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, New York. The tempest resulted in the fall of a large tree, a utility pole, and multiple wires on Merle Place near Fingerboard Road. Further distress was inflicted as tree branches fell onto stationary vehicles, adding to the extensive destruction.
Following the onslaught of the high-velocity winds and torrential rain during the evening peak time, over 17,800 customers faced power outages. The storm’s wrath seemed particularly harsh on the East Shore, where the community grappled with numerous fallen trees, power disruptions, and malfunctioning traffic signals, disrupting the normalcy of life.
Despite the damages and inconvenience, Con Edison gave residents a sigh of relief when they announced that power had been restored to nearly all affected customers by Saturday morning. They had worked relentlessly through the stormy night, ensuring essential services were back up with little delay.
The storm made its presence known again at Merle Place in Fort Wadsworth, where a large tree was visibly split at its trunk. This damaged tree entwined itself with a utility pole, causing parts of the tree and the broken pole to dangle dangerously over the road and pavement, creating potential hazards for pedestrians.
Adding to the chaos, sizeable tree limbs and branches took a damaging tumble onto parked cars lining the street. The once serene streets lay littered, bearing witness to the storm’s ferocious temper, causing concern among residents.
Other locations along the East Shore did not escape the turmoil. Henry Place and Burgher Avenue in Dongan Hills along with Prescott Avenue and Clawson Street in New Dorp witnessed their share of fallen trees during the tempest’s onslaught. The damage was so significant that it spurred an immediate response from FDNY.
A particular note of a tree falling at the intersection of Garretson and Magnolia avenues in Dongan Hills was made, indicating the wide-ranging impacts of the storm. In a similar sequence, another tree took down power lines when it fell on Greeley Avenue and Clawson Street, further complicating the situation.
Instances of vehicle damage were also reported, with a fallen tree on Fremont Avenue in Grant City causing radiator grille damages to two parked cars. No injuries were reported, but the event served as a testament to the storm’s destructive capabilities.
The ferocious storm’s aftermath caused colossal setbacks for commuters as well. A tree’s unfortunate fall onto the Staten Island Railway tracks led to a suspension of services between St. George and Grasmere for a significant amount of time, stranding passengers and disrupting schedules.
The stormy weather also forced officials to shut down the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in both directions for about an hour. Fortunately, the bridge was reopened after the winds subsided, and the Staten Island Railway was able to restore full services by 5:20 p.m., easing the commuter challenges.
Adding to the troubles during Friday’s evening rush was the malfunctioning of numerous traffic lights due to the storm. Specific intersections in New Dorp, such as Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane as well as Richmond Road and New Dorp Lane, had to cope with non-functioning traffic signals.
Further, Richmond Road saw a stretch from Todt Hill Road to at least New Dorp Lane without functioning traffic lights. This inevitably led to slower traffic, unexpected congestion and general confusion among motorists, worsening the evening commute.
In the aftermath of the storm, power outages were quite widespread along the East Shore, causing distress in multiple areas. Neighborhoods including Grasmere, Dongan Hills, Ocean Breeze, Midland Beach, Grant City, New Dorp, and Oakwood were grappling with the blackout situations.
Post-storm, Con Edison also had to lower voltage in parts of the East Shore. Despite the multitude of challenges, the utility’s crews worked diligently through the night, restoring power and bringing back a semblance of normalcy to Staten Island and Brooklyn homes and businesses.
Their unwavering efforts were rewarded when, by Saturday, they restored power to most remaining customers. As the sun rose at 6 a.m., only 255 homes continued to weather the aftermath of the storm without power, marking the end of a challenging restoration endeavor.
The post Fierce Storm Ravages Fort Wadsworth Streets, Leaves Thousands Without Power appeared first on Real News Now.
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