Power lines and trees were toppled and hospitals were placed on disaster alert but there were no reports of injuries after a possible tornado hit the city of Elmira Thursday afternoon, Chemung County Office of Fire and Emergency Management spokeswoman Karen Miner said.

A state of emergency and curfew were in effect until 8 a.m. in the city, with only emergency vehicles allowed on the streets while fallen trees and power lines were being cleared, Miner said. A shelter was set up at the Elmira Free Academy for residents who didn't want to stay in homes without power, she said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared an emergency for surrounding Chemung County to allow the state to mobilize state resources to assist local governments. "This state of emergency declaration will help the state get critical resources to communities that were hit the hardest," Cuomo said.

There were reports of isolated fires, and roofs torn off small structures, and people trapped in vehicles because of downed power lines."