A tornado warning has been lifted after a line of severe storms blew through Cape Cod overnight on Monday. Around 10 pm, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was spotted on the radar and thus triggered the warning. The warnings were in effect for eastern and central parts of Barnstable County until about 10:40 p.m.
While many towns included Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro were impacted. Most of the damage is centered in the town of Harwich, where trees and debris litter Route 124 near Harwich Center. According to Chatham police, heavy winds have caused serious damage in Harwich, downing multiple trees.
The NWS has confirmed that two trees have fallen on a home on Lake Pleasant Avenue. No injuries have been reported. Hundreds of people reported power outages on the Cape due to storm damage, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
In Sandwich, lightning was blamed for a house fire on Viking Lane. No one was injured, but residents were forced out of their home at about 11 p.m. The fire department says there was about $75,000 in damage.
Copious amounts of lightning lit up the night sky as meteorologists warned about the possibility of a tornado from the storms. There was no immediate report of any tornado or any damage across the region. A 52 mph wind gust was reported in Dennis.
The second round of showers and embedded thunderstorms will impact the area again Tuesday morning into midday, but this area of rain will likely be focused along the south coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported about 2,000 customers without power across Massachusetts at 6 a.m.
The National Weather Service had requested the residents to shelter in place. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
