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Strong Winds Rake Northeast

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From Associated Press

Wind gusting to 60 mph knocked out power to thousands, damaged buildings and felled trees across the Northeast on Wednesday, killing at least one person.

The blustery winds, which accompanied a strong cold front, killed a 50-year-old farm worker in suburban Philadelphia when he was struck by a falling tree, police said.

Authorities said the winds also may have caused a small aircraft in northern New Jersey to slide off the runway after landing and hit several trees. No one was injured.

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Thousands of people were without power across the Northeast as the wind snapped utility poles and knocked down electrical lines. Wind also tore off part of a roof at an elementary school in Edison, N.J., and loosened a plastic cover on the Capitol dome in Charleston, W.Va.

The fierce gusts ripped down a 25-foot-tall cowboy statue that stood for nearly 40 years at the Cowtown Rodeo in Pilesgrove, N.J. Owner Grant Harris said just the legs were left standing.

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