Torrington takes hit from Thursday night thunderstorms

Heavy wind and rain took their toll on Torrington when a line of severe thunderstorms rolled through the area Thursday night.

“We were looking out the back door and it looked like something out of a movie," Luz Ortiz said.

She was in her house when a family member came running to her describing what they had just seen.

“He came running inside and was like 'Oh my god, do you know what just happened?'” Ortiz said.

A massive tree dropped across Route 272, blocking the roadway during the evening commute. Another neighbor details it from her angle.

“I was sitting on my front porch, and it got really windy and I could see something go like this and I saw a flash of light," Shawn Chandler said.

She said the winds that rolled through sounded like a tornado was headed their way. She expected to lose power but didn’t.

“I went in and it was dark and I thought I lost power but turned on a light and I had it," Chandler said.

According to clean-up crews, over 1,000 people lost power.

University Drive in Torrington also took a major hit. A power pole caught fire when it came crashing down across the roadway.

Residents like Chandler are just glad the storm was quick, and everyone is okay.

“Thank god nobody got hurt that’s all that matters," Chandler said.