FRAMINGHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Cleanup efforts began Tuesday after storms passing through parts of Massachusetts left behind extensive damage in some spots.
Storms hit the region Tuesday afternoon, dumping inches of rain in some locations and bringing strong wind gusts to communities including Framingham.
On Jean Street in Framingham, a massive pine tree split in half and collapsed into one man’s back yard.
“When I heard the boom, I thought it was lightning hitting the ground,” said Mike Curtis.
Curtis said he then quickly smelled pine through an open window.
“So, I knew what it was,” he said.
Next door to Curtis, another tree was ripped from the ground, toppling onto the front of a house.
About one block away, on Brook Street, another tree was yanked from the ground.
One person speaking with 7NEWS described the moment wind picked up in Framingham Tuesday afternoon.
“It was very loud,” said Jessica Jackson-Yoo. “And it was about a 90-second situation that brought all this damage down.”
Outside Framingham, the National Weather Service’s Boston office noted several other reports of downed trees in Massachusetts.
Flooding also caused problems, with one driver in Boston ending up stuck on the roof of his stalled car while surrounded by floodwaters Tuesday afternoon.
Carlos Lopes said he was driving when the sky opened up, flooding a low-lying part of Quincy Street under an overpass. Lopes said his car stalled.
“It just cut out and I tried to restart it,” he told 7NEWS. “It started floating backwards and this is where we’re at.”
Lopes said water started coming inside his car as the flooding intensified. Not knowing what to do, he said he climbed out and waited for help.
Video from the scene later showed emergency crews working to push Lopes’ car to the side of the road.
Storms in the region triggered a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Massachusetts that expired at 5 p.m. A flash flood warning was also in effect.
In total, wet weather on Tuesday dropped anywhere from one to three inches of rain on parts of Metro Boston and the Metro West region, according to radar estimates.
The region’s latest round of rain and severe weather came after previous storms in recent weeks, including a series of downpours that caused intense flooding in some communities on Friday of last week.
Warmer weather is now forecast for the days ahead, with dry weather expected on Wednesday.
Read more on the 7WEATHER blog.
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