Tornado Warning for Southern New Hampshire as Storms Lash Strafford County

Severe thunder storms ripped through southern New Hampshire on Thursday causing extensive damage. With the second set of tornado warnings issued within a week, southern New Hampshire residents are experiencing one of the worst summer storm seasons in recent memory. It is certainly the most severe weather, I've experienced since moving to the area in January of 2007.

High Winds Hit Strafford County and Surrounding Areas

It's been raining steadily for a few days here and I took advantage of a break in the rain this morning to get outside and pick some vegetables from our gardens. While I was outside, the sky suddenly darkened and the wind picked up. I started for the house and managed to get inside as torrential rain began to fall. The wind was gusting at what I would estimate at 40 miles per hour here near the summit of Blue Job Mountain. The National Weather Service reports gusts of 50-60 miles per hour in the immediate area.

Houses Damaged and Destroyed

The neighboring towns of Epsom , Wolfeboro, and Alton have experienced some of the worst damage, WMUR, the local television news station, is reporting several houses collapsed and others with walls ripped off by the strong winds. In a scene that certainly looks like a tornado touched down, WMUR showed images of a twisted pile of timbers that was all that remained of at least one house on Sleepy Hollow Lane in the town of Espom.

Tornado Warning in Strafford County

A tornado warning was issued for this storm which eased up at just about in Strafford County. A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect, and further lines of storms are headed toward us according to the National Weather Service. At this point, no tornado touchdown has been confirmed although several people reported seeing funnel clouds.

Flooding is a Concern for Low Lying Areas

Flooding is my main concern. I have a small brook that runs through my backyard and it is swollen to about two feet higher than usual. While my house and yard on the side of a mountain are safe from flooding, the low lying areas around Strafford are susceptible. In the spring of 2007, every road into or out of Strafford was closed due to flooding. Bridges and roads were washed out and extensive repairs were needed. I don't expect the flooding today to be that bad, but there may be some road washouts due to the storm runoff.

Electrical Power Outage in Maine and Southern New Hampshire

Thousands of residents just across the border in Maine lost electrical power this morning. The outage is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. The power was restored to most Maine customer by the early afternoon. However, localized storm-related power outages throughout southern New Hampshire continued through the afternoon.