Storms Cause Damage Throughout State

Severe storms took down tree limbs and knocked out power to thousands of people across Connecticut on Tuesday evening.

Willimantic took the brunt of the storm.  The fire department reported that a micro-burst knocked down trees that damaged homes and blocked several roads. The most significant damage was south of Valley Street. 

Tree branches covered the town hall steps and part of Route 66 and winds took the roof off of Mike Haddad's business. 

"A lot of people saw the roof flying through the air. It landed all over the place. There are pieces across the the street," he said.

The severe weather started earlier in the afternoon when a tornado warning was issued for Tolland and Windham counties.

A strong thunderstorm cell began showing rotation in Massachusetts around 4:30 p.m. Springfield area residents recovering from a tornado in June are now cleaning up again.  There were no confirmed tornado touchdowns, but the National Weather Service plans to survey the area on Wednesday to make a final determination. 

In the Berkshire County town of Hinsdale,  an 85-year-old man was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a fallen tree that was entangled in power lines, police said. The medical examiner will determine whether the man was killed by the force of the crash, electrocution or a combination of both.

It moved into Connecticut just before 5 p.m.

The warning expired at 5:30 p.m., but strong thunderstorms continued to move through the state, causing damage in areas of Northeastern Connecticut.

Willimantic firefighters responded to 30 calls during the height of the storm. There were no injuries.

Connecticut State Police reported wires down across Route 87 in Columbia. In Coventry, trees were reported down across several roads. As of Wednesday morning, Route 53 in Weston remained closed at Godfrey Road because trees are down.

Emergency officials ask that people be aware of debris and fallen power lines as they head out the door this morning.

The storms knocked out power to 1,333 Connecticut Light & Power customers as of 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday.