Heavy storm topples trees, disrupts power in northern Lakes Region

Severe weather hit the area for the second week in a row, toppling trees, and knocking out electric power to thousands of homes and businesses.

The fast-moving thunderstorms were especially severe in the northern Lakes Region. Bristol, Meredith, Center Harbor, and Moultonborough were hit hard, according to weather and utility company officials.

A total of 1.41 inches of rain fell in Bristol, and 1.04 inches in Meredith, according to Sarah Jamison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Gray, Maine. Golf-ball sized hail was reported in New Hampton, she added.

The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative reported 11,300 customers were without power at one point. Electric utility Eversource said as many as 36,500 customers were without power system wide, 8,900 in the Laconia area.

Co-op spokesperson Seth Wheeler said outages were most extensive and damage most widespread in Meredith, Center Harbor, and Moultonborough.

“In Meredith alone we’ve counted about 20 broken poles, with more being discovered today,” Wheeler said Friday.

He said Co-op and contract crews had been able to restore power to all but 1,500 homes and businesses by mid-morning Friday.

“We expect to be substantially restored by tonight, but some smaller, scattered outages will likely not be restored until Saturday,” he said.

Eversource spokesperson William Hinkle said Bristol, Alexandria, and Grafton, in the Newfound area, had an especially high number of outages. He said the company expected that all those who lost power would have it restored sometime Friday.

Jamison said the storm started in Claremont in the western part of the state and quickly moved through Bristol and across the north part of Lake Winnipesaukee before moving into Maine.