Storm damages leave thousands without power across western Mass.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Several towns across western Massachusetts reported damage and power outages following Tuesday’s storm. The weather packed a punch, knocking down trees and wires across the area.

Crews worked to pick up the pieces across western Massachusetts Tuesday after the evening storm.

“It just started to get really dark,” said Courtney Jerin of Southwick. “The wind started to pick up.”

That wind caused heavy damage in some areas, such as branches that came down on a house on Newbury Street in Chicopee.

Meanwhile, over in Southwick….

“We heard a bang, and boom! Bang, boom!” George Thelclis recalled.

Tree branches fell on wires along College Highway, knocking power out for the entire street around 6 p.m.

“People couldn’t even drive, and instantly, we lost power, and I have a bearded dragon that I have to keep warm and everything,” Jerin told us.

Crews have blocked off one lane of that street.

Meanwhile, in Westfield, an entire tree snapped and fell over.

Another tree fell and blocked Maxwell Road in Monson, taking wires down with it. Officials asked drivers to avoid that road until National Grid could resolve the issue.

Residents also told us that they hope things return to normal soon.

“We’re trying to order food right now,” Jerin said. “We’re trying to find anywhere that’s open, and surprisingly, a lot of places are apparently closed.”

We reached out to Eversource, and a spokesperson told us that about 20,000 customers across western Massachusetts lost power Tuesday evening and they have since restored about 17,000 of those.

They said they have extra crews in the area that are actively working to get the rest of the outages restored, including the 38 in Southwick.

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