Thousands Still Without Power As Powerful Storm Topples Trees Onto Cars, Homes Across Connecticut

A powerful storm knocked down trees and dropped large hail on parts of Connecticut, which resulted in more than 9,000 residents waking up without power this 4th of July holiday.

Eversource is reporting 7,000 outages and United Illuminating Co. is reporting 515 outages.

Some of the Eversource outages include: Branford, 256, Clinton, 546, Essex, 1,028, Haddam, 846, Guilford, 799, Killingworth, 215, Madison, 928, Norwalk, 101, Plainfield, 686, Tolland, 125, Weston, 131, Westport, 146, Willington, 119, Wilton, 214.

For UI, Stratford and Trumbull are reporting 100 outages each, while Milford, Fairfield and Bridgeport are each reporting around 85 outages.

"A cold front on Thursday, July 3rd sparked severe thunderstorms across Connecticut," said WFSB 3 TV meteorologists. "Many towns reported downed trees, leading to power outages. In fact, over 27,500 people lost power! Unfortunately, a tree fell onto a car in Trumbull and injured one person. The storms also brought hail, particularly in parts of NW and NE CT. The largest was golfball size (1.75″ diameter) reported in Sterling, CT. Strong wind gusts were also an issue, at Bradley International Airport a 49mph wind gust was measured!"

The Branford Fire Department said they "responded to 10 storm related incidents over the past two hours including a tree on a house, an active gas leak, and many downed live wires. Stony Creek was the hardest hit; there are currently 150-200 without power."

The Trumbull Volunteer Fire Company, No. 1, Inc. said "Yesterday evening (7/3) volunteers from Trumbull Center, Long Hill, and Nichols responded to dozens of calls during the storm. There were multiple calls with trees down on houses, vehicles, and primary wires. Crews worked to mitigate any hazards, secure scenes, and assist homeowners."

The Madison CT Police Department said "Due to yesterday’s storm, the Town of Madison experienced significant damage, including downed trees, utility poles, and power lines throughout the area.

"As of this morning:

• East Wharf Road is closed near Fence Creek due to a downed utility pole and wires.
• Warpas Road is closed between Amber Trail and Godman Road due to downed trees and wires.

"There are also many downed tree limbs across town that may be obstructing portions of the roadway. Please use extra caution when driving, even on roads that appear to be open," police said.

Madison police added that we should "Always treat downed wires as if they are live and dangerous. Do not approach or touch them. Our crews and emergency partners are working hard to clear debris and reopen roads as quickly and safely as possible. Despite the damage, the Fourth of July Parade is still scheduled for today and we’re excited to see everyone there."

The Guilford Police said, "The storm has left multiple roads blocked with trees and wires throughout town. Please use caution if you have to travel and do not move barriers or drive over downed lines.

The following roads are still closed:

• 1400 Durham Rd- closed
• 200 Nortontown Rd -closed
• 140 Trolley Rd- closed

There are multiple roads throughout town that are partially closed, police said.

In Tolland, the fire department said, "Please be advised of the following roads still closed after tonight’s storm:

• Baxter Street at #286 (one lane open)
• Sugar Hill Road at #433 & #27
• Buff Cap Road at #365
• Slater Road at #211
• Carol Drive at #29
• Hunter Road at Crystal Lake Road
• Peter Green Road

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4th of July forecast details

"Today, the 4th of July, will be nearly perfect with ample sunshine and low humidity. Temperatures peak in the low to mid-80s, near normal for early July. Whether your plans take you to a cookout, a parade, or evening fireworks, the weather cooperates! While dry weather carries over into the weekend, we do trend warmer and muggier! Temperatures Saturday reach the mid-80s under a sunny sky. By Sunday it’s hot as temps reach the upper 80s if not lower 90s (especially inland), you’ll also feel mugginess make a return," WFSB 3 TV forecasters said. (Read more at WFSB 3 TV).