On Saturday afternoon, patrons of Merchant's River House went running for cover when a gust blew over trees that fell on to the patio. 21-year-old Alex Popov says a branch hit him on the shoulders and head.
"We were all running from the rain because it started raining super hard," said Popov.
"We were sitting outside," said tourist Declan Ganley. "A wall of hail came across the Hudson, obliterating the New Jersey side. We ran inside. The next thing all the tree came down and then it was gone."The trees belong to the Battery Park Conservatory, and they are the ones who will be removing them.
An official with the Office of Emergency Management tells Eyewitness News no one was seriously hurt.
Farther down the promenade, several other trees came down that will not have to be taken away.
