Emergency managers in Broome County, New York, reported people trapped inside a home because of downed trees in the town of Vestal.

CNN: N.Y. state official among 3 killed during powerful storms

Binghamton University along with the city of Binghamton and Broome County are also teaming to build a business-incubator space on a two-acre site in the city's downtown.

WSJ: Dreams of Binghamton

Another sector potentially prime for takeoff is gas drilling made possible by high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, but there is disagreement in Broome County over whether to pursue the opportunity.

WSJ: Dreams of Binghamton