Wind gusts of up to 60 mph caused a host of problems for Long Island residents Thursday, whether they were traveling by rail, air or just staying home.

High winds caused a railroad safety gate near the Bethpage train station to break, sending it smashing into the 7:32 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station. The gate shattered a window on the train, injuring five people. The gate has since been fixed.

In Albertson, a train hit a utility pole that the wind caused to lean into the tracks. The train sat straddled over the Northern State Parkway near the Albertson station as LIRR workers tried to clear the downed utility pole. About 150 passengers on the train had to wait two hours while power to the light was turned off.

The LIRR says it's conducting an investigation into the two wind incidents.

There were several close calls involving falling trees in neighborhoods. In Huntington, a Norway maple fell close to a home on Ash Place where the family was inside getting ready to start the day. Adam Cirlincione, also of Huntington, says a tree fell and totaled his car just moments before he was to pile in with his kids to take them to school.

In Seaford, a large tree slammed into the roof of a home, taking down power lines with it, and in Deer Park, a powerful gust blew out part of a brick wall at a recreational center.

The strong winds also caused airport delays across the region. At the height, flights from LaGuardia were delayed up to three hours. Travelers say they were put on standby for other flights because of the difficulties.

News12 Long Island Weather CenterClick for more on the train mishaps

LaGuardia sees 3-hour delays due to strong winds