WESTFIELD (WWLP) – A large tree fell across Root Road in Westfield last night, bringing down power lines, and causing a widespread power outage.
“We need to bring in some heavy equipment to remove the tree,” said Westfield Police Officer Steve Gonglik, after the road was closed to traffic. The tree came down in front of 123 Root Road, which police have blocked off from that location to Woodsong Drive.
All power had been restored by this morning.
Also, several mobile homes damaged by trees in Westfield
No one was hurt when falling trees damaged several mobile homes in Westfield Tuesday night.
Gonglik said, “three to five trailers were damaged when trees came down on them at about 7:37 tonight.”
The damaged trailers had been crushed by a huge tree that was uprooted and fell over, bringing up a giant root ball.
The trailers are located in Hampden Village, a mobile home park which is accessible from Root Road in Westfield.
Jeff Glaze, the president of Hampden Village, said that there was a very violent thunderstorm that brought down a very large pine tree that fell on the mobile home. He said the large tree was up-rooted, and brought several other large trees down with it before landing on someone’s unit. He said there are at least three units so badly damaged that the people cannot go back inside.
“The building inspector is already here,” said Glaze. “He said nobody can go in the house. We did have the firefighters go in and they took the lady’s medication out of the house. and so she’s secure for the tonight.”
Kathleen Buotte lives two houses away from the big fallen tree. She said when she heard the wind and saw the trees swaying, she followed her “storm plan,” she grabbed her cat and dog and hid in her shelter, her closet.
“I was in the closet, so I heard loud noises, and I thought it was super loud pounding of the thunder. So I was shocked at what I saw, especially only two houses away from me. Too close!” Buotte said.
Glaze said all of the displaced residents had someplace to stay for the night.
He said tree crews have removed debris from the area, but the large pine will be removed this morning.
Thousands were without power in central Connecticut and scattered damage reported across southern New England after storms that led to tornado warnings in Massachusetts.
The storms left about 50,000 without power in Connecticut yesterday afternoon. North Haven police said they believe a microburst or small tornado damaged several homes on the town’s west side and downed trees and power lines. No injuries were reported.
Scattered tree and power line damage also was reported in southeastern Massachusetts where tornado warnings were issued. There were no confirmed touchdowns.
New storms triggered by an advancing cold front marched across western Massachusetts and Connecticut last night.
A tornado watch was cancelled for most of Massachusetts at mid-evening. It remained in effect until 11 p.m. for southeastern Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The AP contributed to this report.
