The first winter storm of the season hit the city Thursday night and, if it weren't for all of the snow and ice all over everything, the damage it left behind almost appears to be what you would expect to see after a small tornado.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian declared a state of emergency early in the morning Friday and asked for motorists to stay off the road as much as possible.

While the roads remained moderately busy, motorists seemed to remain civil, often stopping on busy roads to allow drivers escape side streets even though most of the traffic lights in the city were dead with the power outage.

Trees are down through the entire city, on nearly every street.

In fact, so many trees collapsed under the weight of ice and snow throughout the morning that city Department of Public Works crews and Troy Police officers could hardly keep up with number of calls.

Some of them hit houses or crushed the roofs of cars, but most simply acted as a nuisance by blocking roads.

Due to the fact that nearly half of the city remains without power tonight, senior citizens and those seeking warm shelter can turn to a number of emergency shelters in the area.

The shelters in Rensselaer County include the following:

- The Tsatsawassa Fire House, 9 Fire House Lane in Nassau; starting at 3 p.m.

- The McDonough Sports Complex Field House, Hudson Valley Community College at 3 p.m.

- The former Verizon building and future home of the Troy City Hall, 1776 6th Ave. in Troy starting at 5 p.m.

Anyone with questions regarding shelters in Troy are urged to call 271-5139 or 271-5105.

Stay tuned to The Record's Web site throughout the weekend for further information on when power is expected to be restored and the aftermath of this storm.