Marblehead families left in dark after winds bring down trees, telephone poles

Dozens of Marblehead families were left in the dark on Wednesday night after a freak weather event took down telephone poles and trees in the area.

Police say about 10 children were playing at a playground behind the old Gerry School when the sky went dark and things around them started to fall.

A stroller was left in the area in the moment of panic, with everyone running to cover.

"I just heard a rush of wind, and it sounded like kids screaming in the playground," Marblehead resident Jackie Hibbard said.

Uncertainty lingered for about 10 minutes in downtown Marblehead, with poles and branches snapping.

"It looked like it was going to rain, and then I heard the rush," Hibbard said. “There was a carriage left there. You just heard the rush of wind and the branches came down."

Police believe a snapped tree limb created a domino effect on Elm Street, that some initially mistook for a tornado.

"I was making a phone call, and all of a sudden, everything went dark," Marblehead native Holly Chin said. "It was just for a few minutes, ferocious winds."

The darkness continued for some portions of the neighborhood, with families venturing out throughout the night to find out what happened.

Electric Light Department crews were working for hours, with work complicated by the age of some of the damaged telephone poles, which date back to the 1930's.

"The whole thing is creepy, and it's not even Halloween," Chin said.

Cox Media Group