BANGOR, Maine — Thunderstorms that swept through Maine on Monday afternoon knocked out power to several thousand Mainers, the bulk of them in Aroostook and Penobscot counties.
As of 5:45 p.m., more than 4,200 Emera Maine customers and nearly 440 Central Maine Power Co. customers, most of those in Kennebec County, were without electricity, according to the companies’ websites.
The areas hardest hit included Ashland, Madawaska, Alton, Bar Harbor, Corinth, LaGrange and Portage.
Emera repair crews made significant headway Monday evening. As of 9 p.m., Emera’s outage total had dropped to fewer than 950 accounts.
Meanwhile, CMP’s outage total spiked to nearly 3,300, with Cumberland and Oxford counties being hardest hit.
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect for many parts of the state through 9 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Caribou.
The weather station reported at 4:29 p.m. on its Facebook page that a “62 mph gust measured at NWS Caribou. Tree damage likely occurring in the area.”