Power returns after rain, strong wind

Power was steadily restored Thursday to Long Islanders affected by the heavy rain and strong winds that swept through the area Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Just 32 customers remained without power as of 11 p.m. Thursday, down from 5,500 at 10:30 a.m., according to the Long Island Power Authority. Most of the remaining outages were in the East End.

Winds gusted to 69 mph in Westhampton early Thursday, 61 mph in Shoreham, 56 mph in Islip, and 45 mph in East Farmingdale, the National Weather Service said. More than an inch of rain fell in many parts of Suffolk, with 2.01 inches recorded in Orient, 1.8 inches in Lindenhurst, and 1.1 inches in Shirley as of Thursday morning, the service said.

The Long Island Rail Road also had delays on the Main Line Thursday, with trains operating at reduced speeds after wind broke crossing gates between Ronkonkoma and Deer Park. Those gates were later repaired.

Downed trees also closed the northbound Bethpage State Parkway north of Southern State and Route 25 in Cutchogue, according to the state Department of Transportation, while downed electrical wires closed Sunrise Highway in East Hampton. The roads were later reopened.

On the bright side, yesterday's sunny but cooler weather was expected to continue through the weekend.