Thousands of people in Massachusetts are without power Saturday after a night of severe weather storms that brought several tornado warnings and a tornado watch that spanned much of New England.
By Saturday morning, there were widespread reports of wind damage to homes, downed trees and power lines across the area as people tried to clean up while also contending with social distancing rules.
Nearly 8,000 people in Massachusetts were without power at about 1:15 p.m. Saturday, more than 12 hours after the storm moved out to sea. Worcester and Franklin counties were among the hardest hit.
Hundreds more were without power in New Hampshire, mainly in Jaffrey, Winchester and New London.
Holyoke, Massachusetts, was hit hard. The rooftops of two apartment buildings ripped off in Friday night's severe weather, leaving two people with minor injuries and over 100 displaced from their homes, according to NBC affiliate WWLP.
Debris crashed onto the streets and sidewalks, damaging several parked cars.
Over 100 people were taken to a hotel for the night. The two people who were hurt are expected to be okay.
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There was severe wind damage in the towns of Westford and Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
The power of the storm was evident Saturday in Westford from downed power lines all around town, to road closures and house damage, and to trees lying in the middle of roads. More than 24 hours after the storm hit, crews and residents were still cleaning up.
"The last time I saw what I saw last night was in 1955," said a Westford resident. "The wind was so loud, the rain and everything, the thunder wouldn't stop, the lightning wouldn't stop. It was pretty, pretty tough."
The mess could likely take days to clean up.
Friday's storm prompted severe thunderstorm warning alerts in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Vermont had two tornado warnings, followed by one in New Hampshire.
There were no immediate reports of a tornado touching down, but it can take hours or even days for that to be confirmed.
