Strong thunderstorms swept across Maine Thursday afternoon, knocking out power to nearly 50,000 homes and businesses and leaving behind downed trees and power lines in several communities.
By about 3 p.m., Central Maine Power reported more than 36,000 outages, with the hardest-hit areas including Kennebec, Oxford, Franklin and Penobscot counties. Versant Power reported another 13,700 customers without electricity, with the largest outages in Hancock and Penobscot counties.
Emergency crews responded to numerous reports of fallen trees and electrical hazards, including in Rumford. In Paris, town officials closed the Town Office for the rest of the day after the outages, while police reported multiple roads blocked by trees and downed wires.
The storms will give way to much more comfortable weather. Cooler, drier air is expected to move in overnight, helping clear out lingering wildfire smoke. Friday’s forecast calls for sunshine, low humidity and afternoon highs near 80 degrees.
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