Joe Gentile and Kyle Adams are reporting in the Register Star heavy storms Wed., June 25, caused widespread flooding in Hudson and Greenport, while lightning exploded a steeple in Catskill and significantly damaged Columbia County 911's cell phone tower. Severe thunderstorms dumped as much as three inches of rainfall in three hours across portions of east central Columbia County early Wednesday night. As a result of the storm, Hudson's public works crews worked to maintain the sewage system and to make sure the roads were safe for travel, Mayor William H. Hallenbeck Jr. said. Heavy flooding was reported near Underhill Pond, and on Parkwood and Glenwood boulevards in the city's Fifth Ward. In Greenport sections of Fairview Ave. and portions of the Livingston Parkway rotary were reportedly under water Wednesday night. After the main cell tower at the Greenport headquarters of Columbia County 911 sustained a heavy lightning strike, the county emergency response unit was left to operate from its mobile command unit. Lightning also struck the steeple of the former Gospel Tabernacle Church, now Snap Fitness Center, on Main St. in Catskill. The strike sent debris flying down the block and forced the evacuation of nearby buildings. The steeple never caught fire and the rest of the structure remained intact. Read the full story in the Register Star.