Wicked spring-like weather in winter

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A nasty storm that brought heavy rain, fierce winds and lightning battered the Tristate region Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The Verizon building in Elmhurst, Queens lost a chunk of its facade.

The weather is believed to have contributed to the partial collapse onto Broadway.

There were no injuries reported.

More than 70,000 Connecticut homes and businesses remained without power at about 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the state's two major utilities.

Utility crews are busy trying to restore electricity across New Jersey after a wave of strong storms packing heavy rain and wild wind downed trees and power lines.

There are 11,895 homes and businesses without power Thursday morning.

Jersey Central Power and Light is reporting 5,106 outages, mainly in Monmouth County. Most of PSE&G's 4,637 outages are in Middlesex and Camden counties. Atlantic City Electric is reporting 2,152 customers without service, mostly in Gloucester and Atlantic counties.

A flood warning remains in effect for Warren County because several streams and creeks are near flood stage.

The loss of electricity and storm damage has caused some schools to close of delay opening. Among them is the All Kids First daycare in Vineland, where a tree crashed through a roof.

With the Associated Press