SEE IT: Con Ed Plant Struck By Lightning, Engulfed In Smoke

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A Con Edison facility in Astoria was hit by lightning on Thursday evening, causing a transformer fire that engulfed part of the building in smoke and flames, according to reports.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m., a transformer at the Con Edison Astoria Yard facility, located near 20-01 28th Street, was hit by lightning, and burst into flames, according to the Fire Department, and videos that show the area engulfed by smoke.

The lightning came hours after a severe thunderstorm watch for the city was issued Thursday afternoon, causing infrastructural damage across the city.

Around 5:30 p.m., Con Edison officials showed up at the plant, and turned off power in part of the facility, according to reports.

Over three hours later, shortly after 8:30 p.m., the FDNY reported that the fire was under control.

The fire department said that there were no injuries and no one lost power because of the strike — though as of Friday morning more than 50 people in Queens are without power following Thursday's storms.

While most of Astoria was relatively spared from Thursday's severe flooding conditions, which put whole subway stations and roads in upper Manhattan under water, area leaders still commented on the city's damage.

Astoria's former City Council Member Costa Constantides, who up until recently chaired the councils' Committee on Environmental Protection, shared a video of one of the city's flooded subway stations, commenting, "climate change is real and we need to act more decisively and quickly to make our city more resilient and sustainable."

Similarly, Astoria's soon-to-be City Council Member, Tiffany Cabán shared a video of flooding, commenting that the city's infrastructure isn't ready for climate change.

"We need a Green New Deal implemented at every level of government and it starts with infrastructure," she wrote.

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