More than 1,500 CT power outages reported amid Friday thunderstorms

Friday thunderstorms knocked out power to more than 1,500 Connecticut customers by late evening Friday, according to Eversource, as the state dealt with a second straight day of storm-related damage.

Eversource reported 1,554 outages at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 12, with the heaviest concentrations in Harwinton, Litchfield, Avon and Waterbury. The utility said fallen tree limbs were responsible for many of the outages and that crews were being dispatched to evaluate the damage.

United Illuminating reported just one outage in Trumbull at the same time.

Storm timeline

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of central and western Connecticut, including southeastern Litchfield County, central Middlesex County, Hartford County and New Haven County, through 7:45 p.m. The warning said storms near New Milford could bring wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.

The Friday outages followed a damaging round of storms on Thursday that brought down trees and power lines and left thousands without electricity.

CT Insider later reported additional flooding in Watertown, where officials said Eversource was reporting more than 2,000 outages in the area around the same time.

What to watch

Officials and utilities had not yet given a statewide restoration estimate in the reporting reviewed for this story. Overnight outage totals could still rise or fall as crews clear debris and repair downed lines, and more storm reports could add to the damage count.

Residents in the hardest-hit towns were left facing the same immediate risks that often follow severe thunderstorms: blocked roads, tree damage and prolonged power loss.