SWAMPSCOTT — Strong winds and rain caused widespread disruptions across the North Shore on Saturday, knocking out power to thousands of residents and bringing down trees throughout the region.
In Swampscott, a large tree toppled onto a home on Pine Street during the storm, damaging a second-floor porch and prompting a response from firefighters and utility crews.
Capt. Michael Bagnell of the Swampscott Fire Department said crews arrived to find the tree resting against the house.
“There’s a large maple tree, I believe, and it tipped over and crashed into the house,” Bagnell said.
Bagnell said firefighters helped the resident of the home safely exit the building before inspecting the structure, including the attic, to determine whether the impact had caused any significant damage.
“Nobody was injured,” Bagnell said. “There was one resident upstairs on the second floor.”
After the inspection, firefighters determined the resident could safely remain in the home.
“The police brought down sawhorses, and we were able to kind of cordon off the area where the tree is,” Bagnell said. “And then just notified National Grid, and they’re the ones that cut the tree.”
The fallen tree also came into contact with nearby utility lines. However, Bagnell said it did not appear to be responsible for the neighborhood’s power outage.
“It didn’t take (the power line) down. It just leaned up against it,” he said. “The power was still on to the whole neighborhood while we were there.”
The incident was one of several impacts felt across town as the storm moved through the area.
According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s outage tracker, approximately 60% of Swampscott electric customers were without power around midday Saturday. National Grid’s outage map showed thousands of local customers affected, while outages were reported across much of the North Shore as strong winds brought down trees and branches.
The Swampscott Police Department recorded eight calls for downed trees on or near power lines, with a transformer being taken out on Suffolk Avenue near an abandoned railroad bed. Police reports also indicated that the power outage affected traffic lights on Paradise Road, which were out between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The outages were part of a broader regional impact from the storm, which left tens of thousands of Massachusetts customers without electricity at various points throughout the day. Utility crews worked throughout Saturday afternoon and evening to clear debris, repair damaged lines, and restore service.
By late Saturday night, most power had been restored in Swampscott. National Grid data showed the number of affected customers steadily declining through the evening as crews worked to reconnect homes and businesses.
