CHENANGO COUNTY – Violent storms swept through Chenango County last night, leaving downed trees and power lines in their wake.

“It was essentially a cluster of thunderstorms that plowed through the county,” reported Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones.

The storms moved in around 9 p.m., he said, and lasted roughly an hour and a half, dropping between 3/4 and an inch of rain over much of the area.

Unlike the storms which ravaged Chenango in late April, this latest weather event did not cause flooding. But the high winds – estimated in excess of 80 miles an hour – caused widespread damage.

“This touched the entire county,” Jones said. Surrounding counties were also hit by the cluster.

According to Jones, all of the damage from last night’s storm appears to have been from straight line winds. No tornados have been reported.

Emergency crews responded to numerous calls of downed trees and power lines throughout the night.

Portions of State Hwy 80 in the Town of Columbus and State Hwy 8 through the towns of New Berlin and Norwich were closed for several hours during the night, as crews worked to clear trees. A tractor-trailer roll over on State Hwy 80 prior to the storm contributed to the road’s extended closure.