Dangerous Winds Cause Power Outages, Knock Down Trees Across Massachusetts
BOSTON (CBS) -- Strong winds and heavy rain caused power outages and knocked down large trees across Massachusetts Friday. Southeastern Massachusetts and the Islands faced winds from 45 to 65 mph while winds on Cape Cod got up to 70 mph.
At 11 p.m., over 66,000 Massachusetts residents were without power. At one point, 98% of Stoughton was without electricity, causing all Stoughton Public Schools' after school activities to be cancelled. Avon, West Bridgewater, Pembroke and Rochester were not far behind, with over 50% of residents without power, according to MEMA.
In Boston, scaffolding fell from a building on Causeway Street near TD Garden, hitting one person and sending them to a hospital with minor injuries.
Two people were taken to hospitals with non-life threatening after a tree fell on a car on West Street in Mansfield. Live wires were down on the car, delaying access to the patients according to Mansfield Fire.
In Wellesley, a large tree fell, closing Route 135.
Abington also had a road blocked by a tree, shutting down Route 18.
Hopkinton could not escape a road closure either, with a fallen tree causing wires to go down and close North Mill Street.
On the Cape, A large tree came down across the power lines on Mayfair Road in Dennis.
The same happened in Falmouth, closing Davisville Road.
One unlucky resident in Falmouth had a large tree fall on his truck, crushing the truck bed.
A tree also fell on multiple cars in Braintree just before a traffic light.
In Dedham, a car suffered the same fate.
Just before 4:30 p.m., the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that the speed limit between Blanford and the New York border on Interstate 90 was reduced to 40 mph, including special permitted vehicles.
Further damage and outages are expected throughout the night.
