Strong Winds Rip Trees From Roots Onto Homes, Power Lines

BOSTON (CBS) - High winds tore apart several trees in Massachusetts and New Hampshire Thursday, leaving scattered power outages and damage behind.

In New Boston, N.H. the wind brought a 75-foot tree down on top of a home on Meetinghouse Hill Road, cutting the house in half.

"There was no one home at the time.  There was a dog.  We managed to get in and get him out.  He was not hurt," Fire Chief Dan MacDonald told WBZ-TV, noting that a family just moved into the house three weeks ago.

Heavy cranes were being brought in to remove the tree in what the chief called a "delicate situation."

MacDonald said another tree hit the same house in the front side about four months ago.

"I looked out the window, instantly saw the hole in the roof and said 'Wow, that's amazing,' " neighbor Peter Clark told WBZ.

When New Boston firefighters arrived, they saw the maple had nearly the cut the house in half.

They immediately went in to see if anyone was hurt. The owners were not home, but the family dog "Nero" was in the rubble.

"Dan and I took the dog and helped her get the dog out of the house. The dog seemed no worse for the wear," Clark said.

Electric company crews came to cut power to the lines that were draped across the road.

Homeowner Denise Lada and her daughter Pamela told WBZ they had just moved into the house a couple weeks ago, most of their stuff still packed in boxes.

WBZ also learned the tree that fell on the house was scheduled to be taken down by a tree removal company two weeks from now.

About 7,500 customers had lost power by early afternoon in New Hampshire.

Wind gusts around 40 miles per hour left pockets of tree and wire damage across several towns in eastern Massachusetts as well.

No serious injuries were reported.

The New Boston, New Hampshire fire chief has advice for pedestrians and drivers who might come across a downed power line, as a result of these strong winds.

"If you see a wire on the road, laying down on the ground, assume it is live and stay away from it," Chief MacDonald said.