Thunderstorm wreaks havoc in Charlestown
6:47 PM Fri, Apr 03, 2009 | Permalink
Email
 |
 |
Projo 7 to 7 News BlogTaking the news pulse of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, by Providence Journal and projo.com staff, from 7 to 7, every business day |
|
Get the 7 to 7 on your mobile at www.projo.com. Twitter: projo | RSS | Email alerts
« $4.2 million in upgrades on Providence federal buildings |
Main
| N. Providence Family Court employees vote to join Council 94 »
CHARLESTOWN, R.I. -- A cold front that moved through Rhode Island Friday afternoon leaving rainshowers and thunderstorms kept Charlestown police and fire busy with back-to-back calls for nearly two hours. The first call came in at 4:14 p.m. as a burglar's alarm. Two minutes later, another burglar's alarm. (There were no burglaries; the alarms were set off by the passing storm). At 4:19 p.m., lightning struck a shed at 27 Partridge Run, engulfing the 192-square-foot freestanding structure. No one was hurt. The state fire marshal's office is on the scene, Charlestown Police Lt. Patrick J. McMahon said. While the Charlestown Fire District battled that fire, the Dunn's Corners Volunteer Fire Department, which serves parts of Charlestown and Westerly, provided mutual aid assistance to the Hope Valley-Wyoming and Carolina-Richmond fire departments, which had multiple calls of alarms set off by the passing storm, McMahon said. At 4:27 p.m., Charlestown Police and Charlestown Fire responded to a second reported lightning strike, this one at the Narragansett Indian Health Center, on Route 2 across the street from Charlestown's Town Hall. Dunn's Corners assisted. McMahon said firefighters found some charring on one of the building's walls but no fire. Once cleared by fire officials, tribal officials called their electrician to inspect the damage. As things slowed down and fire officials wrapped up their response to the calls, yet another call for assistance came in. This one reported cable wires down at 99 Carolina Back Road (Route 112). McMahon said a Cox Communications crew was to respond. The original version of this story was posted at 5:04 p.m. 
CommentsLeave a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
Tags 
New comments
New photos
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives
i was outside in wakefield heading towards wickford a little after 4:00 pm. you had to be there. the thunder was pretty concussion'ng in the chest & it made me get off my cell phone right away.
Report Abuse