NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A powerful storm ripped through the Berkshires on Wednesday afternoon leaving downed trees and wires in its wake.
The line of thunderstorms hit the region around 4 p.m. hail, wind and rain for an intense 15 or 20 minutes.
Downed lines along Massachusetts Avenue in North Adams and Cold Spring Road in Williamstown left more than 1,500 National Grid customers without power. The utility also reported were scattered outages around the county, including Florida Mountain and South Berkshire.
Eversource reported nearly 33,000 customers affected in Western Massachusetts, including more than 2,500 in Dalton and and more than 4,000 in Pittsfield.
There reports of fire alarms going off, power outages, trees on cars or in the road and downed wires around the county. In North Adams, Massachusetts Avenue Extension was closed for a downed power line and debris -- small and medium-sized limbs -- were scattered along sidewalks and roadways. There were also reports of trees down and power out at Windsor Lake and Rich Street.
The biggest hit was taken by Mingo's restaurant at Greylock Bowl & Golf when the new canopy over the restaurant's deck was ripped from the building.
In Adams, one of the tiny houses at B&B Micro-Manufacturing tipped over and tree limbs came down on the houses and cars around the building. A large limb also came down on Crotteau Street, closing the road, and trees were down along Summer Street. One resident on Summer posted an image of a tree in their smashed above-ground pool.
There were also reports in Pittsfield of more downed trees behind Allendale Shopping Center and a trees across roads in Lanesborough and Hancock.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., had posted a severe thunderstorm warning for the region, saying the storm had created winds of 50 to 55 mph as it moved through central New York. A wind advisory is in effect for the Berkshires, eastern New York, Southern Vermont and and northwestern Connecticut until 2 a.m. Thursday.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
click for more
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
click for more
More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
click for more
"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more