Thunderstorm winds down trees, wires in Sunapee, severe warning issued

Wind and a fast-moving thunderstorm knocked trees and wires onto Ryder Corner Road near North Road in Sunapee around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, cutting off the road just as a severe weather warning covered Sullivan County and nearby towns. The Sunapee Fire Dept/Rescue logged the damage at 1 NW Sunapee, describing trees and wires down blocking Ryder Corner Road in the area of North Road.

National Weather Service Gray/Portland, Maine, issued the severe thunderstorm warning at 2:39 p.m. EDT and kept it in effect until 3:45 p.m. The warning said radar showed the storm moving east at about 55 mph and warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph. Claremont, Newport and other Sullivan County communities were in the warning area, along with locations across western and central New Hampshire.

Forecasters described the system as an unseasonably strong storm with an increased chance for severe thunderstorms and localized flash flooding through the afternoon and early evening. Damaging wind gusts were the main hazard, but the Weather Service also said a tornado threat was possible. Its storm discussion said effective shear of 50 to 60 knots across New Hampshire and parts of far western Maine was enough to support severe weather, especially as the line of storms raced east.

The broader threat also prompted a Tornado Watch and a Flood Watch before the Weather Service later canceled both as the danger ended for Sullivan County and neighboring counties. In parts of New Hampshire that had already seen recent rain, forecasters said the flash-flood risk was elevated if heavier bands stalled or repeated over the same area.

For Sunapee families, the immediate concern was the blocked access on Ryder Corner Road and the downed wires along North Road, where a single tree can turn a back road into a dead end in minutes. The Sunapee Fire Department, based at 9 Sargent Road in Sunapee, relies on rapid incident reporting to relay storm hazards as they unfold, a reminder of how quickly severe weather can interrupt travel and daily routines in the town.

The storm also fit a broader question for Sullivan County: whether these sharp, wind-driven cells are becoming an increasingly familiar threat to local roads, homes and utility lines. Thursday’s damage showed how little warning a summer storm can give before it leaves a narrow road blocked and a neighborhood waiting for crews to clear the way.