Town-by-town damage reports: Toppled trees, downed power lines as storm wreaks havoc on Mass.
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By Katie Brace and Frank O'Laughlin
WELLESLEY, Mass. — A wind-driven rainstorm is wreaking havoc on Massachusetts on Monday morning, toppling trees and damaging power lines in many communities.
Police departments across the state announced road closures due to storm-related issues as MEMA reported tens of thousands of power outages.
In West Roxbury, a tree came crashing down on a house off of VFW Parkway. There were no reports of any injuries.
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In Wellesley, a driver was lucky he wasn’t hurt when a large tree and live wires came down on his car on Laurel Avenue.
In Braintree, the whipping winds sent a set of traffic lights crashing to the ground in the city’s Five Corners area. Drivers were urged to avoid the area and expect delays.
Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath said Route 1A was closed from the town of Norfolk to Wrentham Center due to “multiple power poles” down across the roadway.
“Will likely be closed all day,” McGrath said in a tweet.
In Millis, multiple large branches snapped off of a tree and landed on a home in the town, the police department said.
“Please be advised that as this storm continues, the more difficult it will be to drive safely,” the department wrote in a tweet. “There are multiple road closures and detours to bypass flooded and unsafe roadways throughout town. Charge up your devices, locate your batteries, and stay off the roads if possible.”
“Please be careful on the roadways this AM,” the Dedham Police Department wrote in a tweet. “Drive slow and stay away from any downed trees or wires. Be safe.”
MassDOT warned of delays on the southbound side of Interstate 95 in Foxboro, where a downed tree in the highway was snarling traffic near mile marker 13.8.
Police in Westwood warned of closures between Grove and Westfield streets and urged drivers to seek alternate routes.
A tree fell on power lines and a passing vehicle in the area of Mendon Street in Upton, prompting closures near the Mendon town line.
“Thankfully there were no injuries. National Grid crews have been contacted and are responding,” the Upton Police Department wrote in a tweet.
Canton police reported that Washington Street at Turnpike Street along Route 138 was closed due to downed power poles and a transformer.
Utility crews are on the scene however no estimation of when the road will reopen. Please seek an alternate route,” the department wrote in a tweet.
There was a similar scene in Wayland, where downed trees and wires fell on a school bus in the area of Loker Road. Everyone onboard the bus got off safely.
In a tweet, Wellesley police wrote, “Lots of trees and wires coming down all over town. Some power outages were reported in the west end of town.
A tree was blown over in Wellesley on Windermere Lane and it sliced through the roof of a home. There were no reported injuries.
The Saugus Fire Department said it was “dealing with an overwhelming amount of calls.”
In a social post, firefighters wrote, “There’s a Power Outage in the area of upper Essex St past the Mall which is triggering fire alarms & CO alarms, Motor vehicle accidents including a dump truck rollover & Hazmat on Water St. And Wires, trees and telephone poles down in the roads and on houses all over town on top of several medical emergencies happening as well.”
Additional wind damage reports, according to the NWS:
715 AM: Haverhill, MA: Merrill Street tree down with primaries blocking the road. School bus can not get through. Numerous other trees down in town. 3,200+ customers without power.
713 AM: Hatfield, MA: Tree down on Wires blocking Route 5
711 AM: Boston, MA: 163 F Street - Tree down on house, Perkins Street - Tree down, American Legion Highway - Tree and Wires down, Lambert avenue - Tree down
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703 AM: Plainfield, CT: Trees and Wires down on Cemetery Lane and Cady Lane
655 AM: Westport, MA: County Street - Tree down
655 AM: Dartmouth, MA: Allen Street at Sable Avenue - Wires down
653 AM: Carver, MA: Tree and Wires down on 38 Holmes street
652 AM: Hingham, MA: Lincoln Street - Utility Pole Down
649 AM: Bridgewater, MA: Large Limb Down on wires - no Street given
648 AM: Canton, MA: Tree down blocking Route 138 - road closed 639 AM: Hingham, MA: Spring Street - Tree down
632 AM: Spencer, MA: Large Limb down on 121 Mechanic Street
629 AM: Boston, MA: Tree down on West Roxbury Parkway
627 AM: Fairhaven, MA: Large Tree down on New Boston Road near Route 6
627 AM: Westport, MA: Adamsville Road by Cornell Road - Tree down, several other trees and wires down in town including a tree down on High tension wires
624 AM: New Bedford, MA: Large Tree down - no Street given
620 AM: Rochester, MA: Tree down blocking the area of 100 Marion Road
614 AM: Mendon, MA: Numerous Tree limbs and Power lines down with power outages in town
604 AM: Marlborough, CT: Tree down on Wires blocking Route 66
533 AM: New Bedford, MA: Tree down on 2 cars with a light pole down in the area of 53 to 56 Emerson Street
531 AM: Rochester, MA: Utility Pole down in roadway with Power lines down blocking a driveway on 631 County Road, Transformer fire and wires down on 85 High Street
Severe Weather Northeast A large chunk of a 60-foot white pine tree lays across Ellen Briggs' yard in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Utility crews are working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers in Maine and some rivers continued to rise following a powerful storm that hit the northeastern U.S. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle) (Patrick Whittle)
Severe Weather Northeast Joe Stanhope and Tori Grasse carry furniture from the flooded outdoor patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Nathan Stanhope, rear, wades through the flood water to retrieve more items. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett hands furniture to Tori Grasse as they work in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Sand bags sit on a street in Montpelier, Vt., on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, a day after the threat of flooding hit the city again. Many communities were saturated by rainfall. Some towns in Vermont, which had suffered major flooding from a storm in July, were seeing more flood damage. (AP Photo/ Lisa Rathke) (Lisa Rathke)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett wades to retrieve furniture in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Drew Landry surveys the seen alongside the the flooded Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast A man photographs the flooded Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett wades to retrieve furniture in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast A motorist maneuvers around a broken tree limb, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Thousands of people remain without power following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast A sign is seen in the parking lot behind the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Trees lay broken in a park across the the State House, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Thousands remain without electricity following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast The water level of the Deerfield River creeps up to the edge of Route 100 in Wilmington, Vt., on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Cassidy Doolittle of Wilmington, Vt., takes a photo of the water marker on the side of a building in downtown Wilmington as the Deerfield River gets to 14 feet high on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Members of the Jamaica, Vt., Fire Department look at the damage to a failed culvert for the North Branch Ball Mountain Brook on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. The culvert was originally replaced after the storms in July but failed again on Monday. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Pedestrians are buffeted by wind as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Pedestrians are buffeted by wind and rain as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather A pedestrian is buffeted by wind and rain while crossing a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Pedestrians are buffeted by wind and rain as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather A passer-by grasps a pole while buffeted by wind and rain on a sidewalk, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Passers-by are buffeted by wind as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast High winds drive surf into a retaining wall in front of a residence in Mattapoisett, Mass. on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 as a storm makes its away across the region. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP) (Peter Pereira/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods a parking lot and a street in Bronxville, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods the Bronx River Parkway, in Yonkers, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Cars traverse the storm flooded Bronx River Parkway, in Yonkers, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods a parking lot and a street in Bronxville, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Salem, NH: Tree on Home Salem, NH: Tree on Home
HANOVER MAIN STREET STORM DAMAGE FROM HANOVER FIRE DEPARTMENT (HANOVER MAIN STREET STORM DAMAGE FROM HANOVER FIRE DEPARTMENT)
Tree down Wellesley Ave Credit Wellesley PD (Tree down Wellesley Ave Credit Wellesley PD)
MIDDLEBORO TREE DOWN CREDIT PETER GILMORE (MIDDLEBORO TREE DOWN CREDIT PETER GILMORE)
TREE DOWN IN LAKEVILLE CREDIT ALEX LINCOLN (TREE DOWN IN LAKEVILLE CREDIT ALEX LINCOLN)
Tree down across Norton road Credit Cathy Webber (Tree down across Norton road (Credit Cathy Webber))
Tree down in Newton (Tree down in Newton)
Tree on gazebo in Pembroke credit Charlene Rosemond (Tree on gazebo in Pembroke credit Charlene Rosemond)
Upton power lines down Credit Upton Police Department (Upton power lines down Credit Upton Police Department)
Wellesley trees down Credit Wellesley PD (Wellesley trees down Credit Wellesley PD)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road)
Tree on home on F Street in South Boston Tree on home on F Street in South Boston
Tree on home on F Street in South Boston Tree on home on F Street in South Boston
Canton storm damage Canton storm damage (Canton Police)
Boston 25 is monitoring the region for additional damage reports and will add them to this story as they come in.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.