Severe thunderstorms moving through Connecticut brought down trees and wires in several Litchfield County towns and caused a lightning strike at a home in Warren, according to emergency officials.
Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Fairfield counties Wednesdayevening but have since expired.
Litchfield remained under a flash flood warning until 9:45 p.m., and severe thunderstorm watches were in effect statewide until 9 p.m. Flood advisories were also in effect around the state.
Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, thunderstorms pummeled parts of the state with heavy rain, vivid lightning and strong, gusty winds of up to 60 mph.
Hundreds of lightning strikes were reported across Litchfield County and New York, some of which struck trees and even houses, like in Warren.
Police said a tree came down on Route 189 in Granby while the storm was moving through, falling onto overhead wires and causing more than 700 power outages in the neighborhood. The road was closed for about an hour while crews responded to the scene.
Emergency officials have also reported trees and wires down in Enfield, Winsted, Sharon, Torrington and Barkhamsted due to strong winds and stormy conditions.
Water in the roadway caused a hole to form in the pavement on Main Street in Torrington, which firefighters say has happened before. According to fire officials, rushing water from heavy rain may have popped off a manhole cover.
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Residents were advised to stay indoors and away from windows at the height of the storm.
We're also tracking Tropical Storm Arthur, which is moving up the East Coast and could contribute to heavy rain here in Connecticut on Thursday and the Fourth of July.
As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Arthur was just below hurricane strength. It's expected to become a category 1 hurricane sometime Wednesday night.
Today's severe weather and the threat of more rain have prompted several towns to postpone fireworks displays.
Fortunately, rain is expected to move out as the day progresses on Friday, leaving the second part of the holiday weekend dominated by nice weather.
Send your severe weather photos to shareit@nbcconnecticut.com.
