EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Strong winds brought on by an arctic front are causing problems in Southern New England.
A portion of Phenix Avenue in Cranston is shut down after a tree fell onto a power line. Our Power Outage Database shows several hundred Rhode Island Energy customers are without power in the area.
As of 6 a.m., there more than 2,700 customers without power statewide, and thousands more across the border in Massachusetts.
Another tree came down on top of a home on Elwyn Street in Cranston.
Branches from a fallen tree punctured the front windows of a coach bus on Route 24 in Freetown. The bus was carrying members of the Curry College women’s ice hockey team who were headed to Salve Regina University, according to police. One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
In North Attleboro, the strong winds caused scaffolding outside a South Washington Street building to break loose and come crashing down into the roadway. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
A large tree came down on Fireside Drive in Barrington, but it appears to have missed the house nearby.
Emergency crews also responded to Smith Street in Providence where a tree fell on top of the business Bodega on Smith.
In North Providence, a tree was torn out of the ground and another was snapped in half, both falling onto the roadway on Fruit Hill Avenue.
The power outages come at a difficult time as the strong winds and rapidly falling temperatures are contributing to dangerously cold wind chills. Emergency warming centers are available in every city and town to anyone who needs shelter from the cold.
12 News has crews out gathering information. Check back for updates.
