Storm Continues To Hit State Leading To Power Outage In Maine & Massachusetts Affecting Daily Lives

A deadly storm hit Northeast, causing death, power outages, and flight delays. National Weather Service has issued warning, schools and offices remain closed.

Harshita Das

Updated on: 19 December 2023 9:10 pm

Deadly storm hits Northeast

Northeast was hit by a deadly storm on Monday along with torrential rains and strong winds. The storm led to the death of at least four people across the region, power outages, and flight delays.

The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts of up to 70mph along the southern New England shoreline. Weather warnings were issued from North Carolina to Maine as trees and electric lines were downed.

The agency recorded more than five inches of rainfall in parts of New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania, and more than four inches in other states. Some city streets in Boston, New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia were underwater during the afternoon rush hour.

Poweroutage.us reported that as of Tuesday morning, over 500,000 utility customers in Maine and Massachusetts were without power. As of 7:35 a.m. ET, there were more than 430,000 power outages recorded in Maine. The state is affected by the outages, with over 67,000 reported in Kennebec County and over 63,000 in Penobscot County. There were more than 129,000 power outages in Massachusetts as of 7:39 a.m. ET. With over 50,000 outages reported in Plymouth County and over 25,000 in Norfolk County, the southeast region of the state is where the majority of the outages are being reported.

Road closures and flooding in numerous minor streams near the mountains in Western Maine were brought on by heavy precipitation and snowmelt, according to National Weather Service forecaster Justin Arnott. Although the water levels in those streams have started to decline, those in Maine's major rivers, such as the Kennebec and the Androscoggin, are still rising, which may cause additional flooding on Tuesday.

Gov. Janet Mills has ordered state offices to be closed until noon.

Maine is predicted to receive comparatively little wind and rain for coming days, which should allow line workers to continue restoring electricity without interruption, according to Arnott.