SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - Severe storms left behind a trail of damage Tuesday, destroying homes and damaging cars across New England.
Lightning strikes are being blamed for Somerville and Sterling house fires.
Residents in Somerville recalled seeing an orange glow and flash shortly before a three-family home went up in flames.
In Sterling, a raging fire that followed a strike of lightning destroyed a garage and heavily damaged the attached home.
“I heard a huge lightning strike, bam,” homeowner Joe Grein recalled. “I saw a red spark on my skylight and then I said, ‘oh, that was close.’ Then like three minutes later my smoke alarm went off.”
The nonstop torrential downpours helped crews put out the flames.
The rain proved to be detrimental to some cars in Worcester, which were left stranded in the streets due to flooding.
Water pressure was so high that it blew covers off manholes.
Drivers also dealt with downed trees, branches and power lines in many areas.
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