By Christina Santucci
A violent storm with strong winds, flashes of lightning and loud rumbles of thunder struck Queens at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday evening. Dozens of trees were downed in the immediate vicinity of Bell Boulevard and 41st Avenue, and snapped power lines sparked and caught fire. From the Bayside Times offices, workers saw a trash can roll along 41st Avenue and be tossed into Bell Boulevard by the vicious gusts.
Two hours later, many streets in Bayside had been closed off with police tape and remained without power. According to Con Edison on Friday, 45,000 customers citywide lost power because of the storm. The utility company said that Flushing, Rego Park, Maspeth and Jamaica were among the hardest hit.
