PLATTSBURGH — Thousands of area residents were left powerless Thursday as high winds whipped across the tri-county area.

By afternoon, more than 8,500 customers were already without power, and officials expected those numbers to climb as the strong gusts continued through the evening.

New York State Electric and Gas spokeswoman Amy Kennedy said "the hardest-hit areas seemed to be in the Northern Tier ... in Franklin and Clinton counties."

Power officials braced for the storm and had all utility crews out working to restore services as soon as possible.

NYSEG and National Grid each had about 4,000 customers without service by noon.

St. Regis Fall Central School District closed down around 11:30 a.m. and sent students home because of the outages.

School officials said classes will resume today if power is restored.

Through the day, Franklin County and portions of Clinton were under a high-wind warning, with the rest of the tri-county region experiencing a wind advisory, which is a milder type of warning.

The National Weather Service called for 25-mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph during the storm but expected the rough weather to subside around 8 p.m.

Several school and community events were canceled due to the windy conditions.

State Police were called to Cumberland Head shortly after 5 p.m. to direct traffic after power lines were knocked out there.

The storm also kept area firefighters busy responding to a number of downed lines and trees.

Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day said the wind caused minor problems across the region.

"It's been pretty widespread but nothing major. Just a few trees and lines down."

Things are looking up for today. The Weather Service is calling for sunshine with highs near 65.

E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com