Winds gusting to more than 70 miles per hour ripped through Rochester and the surrounding area overnight leading to power outages and tree damage.
More than 14,000 RG&E customers lost power at some point during the storm, though less than 4,000 remained off line by daybreak. Most are expected to have power restored by late Wednesday night.
Power outages forced two local schools to close, Greece Olympia and Notre Dame High School in Batavia. The Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester also closed due to a power outage. Emergency generators are powering areas of the zoo that are critical to animal care.
Sustained winds blew at more than 30 miles per hour most of Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The Greater Rochester International Airport recorded a peak gust of 72 miles per hour, just two miles per hour below what is categorized as hurricane force winds.