Scanner chatter was persistent as calls for assistance were being answered on almost a minute-by-minute basis. Around 10:45 a.m., a tractor trailer was blocking westbound traffic between Exit 59 at Dunkirk-Fredonia and Exit 60 for Westfield-Mayville on the New York State Thruway. The incident was reported near the Westfield exit and the Fire Department of Westfield, Chautauqua County Emergency Management Services as well as New York State Police were summoned.

There is one section between Westfield and Ripley on the Thruway that notes high winds. This accident happened to the east of that location. Wind gusts on Tuesday were expected to reach 70 mph as the area was under a high-wind warning.

Before the afternoon, wires were reported down on Route 5 in Portland while a tree hit a house on 42 Beckman Ave. in Westfield. Damage was noted to the front portion of the house while the homeowner noted everyone inside was safe.

According to Noel Guttman, county Emergency Services Director, by 3 p.m. Tuesday Chautauqua County had four tractor trailers that had rolled over. Two of the tractor trailers were on I-90 and two were on Route 20. Guttman said the two trucks that rolled over on Route 20 were “probably a by-product of the tractor trailers coming off of I-90 from the empty truck ban.”

Two tractor trailers collided in this accident on Interstate 90 near SUNY Fredonia on Tuesday.

He added the tractor trailer accidents did not result in any injuries.

Overall, there were between 60-70 calls Tuesday, before sunset. Most of the calls were due to downed trees and power lines.

Northern Chautauqua County was hit the worst.

“The storm has had a very significant impact for our northern border, in particular from Ripley to the Silver Creek area. Fire Departments and municipal EMTs have been out dealing with a lot of trees down and wires down, associated with that. Our power company partners from NYSEG, National Grid and local municipalities have been very busy. Unfortunately, calls are backing up quite a bit,” Guttman said.

About 12,000 customers were without power around 3 p.m. Tuesday, the majority of which were National Grid customers.

Trees block an intersection at East Second and Robin streets in the city of Dunkirk.

Guttman recommends anyone without power to be careful with candles and generators.

David Ortolano, Dunkirk police chief, called for a travel advisory in the city, noting high Winds brought down trees and power lines. “There are intersections with the traffic light not functioning due to power outages,” he said. “If you come to an intersection that has a traffic light out that intersection is to be treated as a four-way stop.

“Public Works Crews are working to clear debris as quickly as they can, please use caution and yield the right of way to them as they are working to clear the roadways.”

Though portions of Route 5 were open and treacherous in New York state, it was not the same over the border.

Route 5 was closed in Erie County from Nagle Road in Lawrence Park in Pennsylvania to the New York state line in North East Township due to extremely windy conditions and downed trees and power lines.

Despite gusty conditions, ripples barely show along Lake Erie. Photo by M.J. Stafford

The closure is expected to remain in place until the weather conditions improve and the road is cleared.

Around 2 p.m., ​both lanes of Interstate 90 westbound were closed from the New York state border to Exit 45 (Route 20, North East) due to a tractor trailer crash near the Pennsylvania Welcome Center.

The high-wind warning was to remain in effect until 4 a.m. Wednesday with a gale warning until 7 p.m. Rain and snow showers also were to continue until the evening with temperatures around 36 degrees.