SEEKONK, MASS. (WHDH) – The National Weather Service was in the process of surveying damage in North Attleboro and parts of Rhode Island Thursday morning after strong storms raced through southern New England Wednesday night, an official confirmed.
Cleanup efforts were also ongoing as members of the public and public officials alike fed downed tree limbs into wood chippers and used chainsaws to cut through tree trucks that suddenly lay on houses, vehicles, streets and yards.
“These people must have been really scared,” said one person in North Attleboro. “I know my friend said it was like a freight train coming through.”
The wild weather started in the early evening and continued for several hours, bringing powerful wind, downpours, and lightning to a wide swath of land from Connecticut to the South Shore.
In Seekonk, toppling trees created a mess at Seekonk High School, with police posting a video of large tree branches in the parking lot.
Bolts of lightning lit up the night sky in Revere and other communities, where flashes came fast and frequently during the storm.
Parts of the South Shore and southern Massachusetts communities had a tornado warning in place until after midnight.
In North Attleboro, downed trees and fallen branches could be seen after sunrise. Among the damage, one tree on Longview Drive appeared to be charred from a lightning strike. Another tree was completely uprooted from the ground.
“I witnessed quite a few trees down and furniture blowing around, birdhouses blowing off,” said North Attleboro resident Danny Ellis. “Definitely, the storm had lifted everything because my neighbor’s stuff was in my yard.”
Another person told 7NEWS he saw firetrucks speeding through the area overnight.
“We look out this morning and we look at this and we’re going ‘What happened?’” he said.
While significant in some spots, North Attleboro Fire Chief Chris Coleman said the damage did not span the entire community.
“It kind of…