Gusty winds messed up more than just hairdos around Cayuga County Wednesday. Fallen trees and limbs reportedly caused dozens of power outages and other isolated problems, though most people went without major disruptions, according to officials.

A departing low pressure system brought cooler air and strong winds to central New York most of the day. Much of the region was under a wind advisory through 7 p.m. Sustained winds of around 30 mph were recorded, as well as gusts between 50 and 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Downed trees and poles were reported in Sennett, Fosterville and Conquest, as well as in Scipio Center and Auburn, according to the weather

service and other officials.

New York State Electric & Gas in Auburn reported that 78 customers in locations ranging from Scipio to Marcellus were without power at the height of the winds. Many of these were isolated cases caused by tree limbs falling on wires, said Barb Murdoch, spokesperson for NYSEG.

Most of the customers had their power restored by 4:30 p.m., Murdoch said.

“This is a typical number for these types of (weather) events” said Murdoch, who added that customers without power should call NYSEG.

One of those customers was the post office in Scipio Center, where a large pine tree hit power lines on State Route 34 Wednesday morning. Town fire officials closed a section of Route 34 for nearly six hours while they cleaned up the scene. Postmaster Cathy Herrling said power had still not been restored at the post office as of 3:30 p.m.

The Auburn Fire Department did not receive reports of major power losses in the city, though fire officials were kept busy with calls. Half of about a dozen calls by Wednesday afternoon were weather-related, according to the AFD. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office did not receive any reports of major hazards or incidents caused by the wind.

Paul Bachen was not so fortunate. A tree blown over by early morning winds Wednesday landed on his garage on Standart Avenue in Auburn. The impact knocked a hole in the roof and caused the garage's walls to shift, Bachen said. One contractor told him that he will possibly have to rebuild the structure.

The fallen tree also damaged a car that was parked in the driveway and tore of a rain gutter off the house, Bachen said.

“We're just fortunate no one was hurt, and that it was only the garage that (the tree) hit,” Bachen said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net