? A downpour of rain and flashes of lightning struck Westchester and the Hudson Valley Thursday, leaving residents to face a major cleanup in the dark.

In Valhalla, a power line came down after 7 p.m. on Route 100 across from a children?s hospital. Firefighters secured the area until Con Edison crews could cut the power. The storm left thousands in Westchester without electricity and hundreds in the dark in the Hudson Valley. About 7,100 homes are affected. The utility company plans to work overnight to restore electricity. In Rockland County, three cases of lightning striking homes were reported.

The Coast Guard also took precautions and ordered all recreational boaters to dock for the evening while the ominous storm passed.