A tree downed by the storm in Saugus. (Shari Small/WBZ NewsRadio 1030)
SAUGUS (WBZ-AM) -- Storm damage is still being assessed throughout the region a day after a microburst brought down trees in Saugus and several towns saw up to six inches of rainfall from the remnants of former Hurricane Florence.
The National Weather Service said winds of 70-75 miles per hour--but said straight-line winds, or a microburst, were the cause, not a tornado, as some believed.
"Although trees, tree limbs, and some wires were downed across many parts of Saugus, the most concentrated area stretched from the western part of Riverside Cemetery eastward to between Stocker Playground and Lincoln Avenue," The NWS said in a report.
Bill Bork lives in Saugus, and told WBZ-TV the storm made a mess of things.
"It looked like a big white cloud coming over the house," he said. "The tree just came down. The barrels were everywhere, this guy's patio furniture."
Saugus resident Roger Mallet said he heard a big bang, and his whole house shook.
"I got my deck, my grill," he said. "I don't know what happened to my picnic table."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports