CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - A massive cleanup effort is underway after a band of severe thunderstorms left behind a path of destruction across the Bay State on Tuesday.
In Cambridge, strong winds uprooted a massive tree on Newton Street and took down power lines, leading to damage to nearby homes, cars, and the sidewalk.
Resident Kristen Sims shared a startling video of the moment a tree brought down power lines and a transformer, which then blew right next to her car — but said she was thankful the outcome wasn’t worse.
“The fact that nobody is hurt. the fact that everybody is safe. the fact that the neighbors have come checked on everybody as much as you can by yelling at everyone from porch to porch. Cambridge fire, police, here quickly,” she said.
The damage was widespread in that area and part of Atrim Street was also blocked off when large branches came crashing down on top of some cars parked below.
The storms also caused the Red Sox to delay their game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Fans could be seen running for cover as the torrential downpours started coming down sideways. The game has since been rescheduled for Wednesday.
In Hyde Park, Boston firefighters responded to reports of downed powerlines across the Commuter Rail tracks. As they worked to clear the area, a small explosion was caught on camera.
Even the 7NEWS station in downtown Boston was not immune from storm damage. The wild winds pulled a big tree right out of a planter box near the front door. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the tree was cleared away just a few hours later.
Though the severe thunderstorm watch has been called off, many cities and towns are still seeing stormy weather. In Quincy, a cellphone video shows flashes of lightning illuminating the sky over the water.
Downpours drenched Milford in a flash as torrential rain flooded the streets of the town that sits just outside Worcester.
More tree troubles were reported in Newton where one came crashing down on top of a home causing damage to the roof.
In Boylston, branches and sticks were sent flying across streets and into yards.
At the height of the storm, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency confirmed that more than 11,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide.
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