Florence remnants leave mark in Massachusetts

Sept. 19--The remnants of Hurricane Florence battered Massachusetts yesterday with a powerful microburst that downed heavy trees in Saugus, and flash flooding that forced roads to be closed as motorists became stranded in some areas.

"I was inside when my mom called about 11 a.m. and said, 'Get down in the basement! There's a tornado headed your way,' " said Anna Moscone, 46, of Saugus. "As I was running toward the basement, I could see trees -- big trees -- falling. One huge one came clear out of the ground and fell on my son's Corvette in the driveway. It was pretty scary."

That "tornado" was actually a microburst, a potentially life-threatening column of sinking air within a thunderstorm that causes very strong winds, usually in an area less than 2.5 miles in diameter.

Bands of torrential rain showers associated with Hurricane Florence continued to track across Massachusetts through the afternoon, with the heaviest rainfall in the northern half of the state, said Bryce Williams, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Totals ranged from 6.62 inches in Baldwinville in Worcester County to 1.01 inches in Haverhill, Williams said.

In Waltham, a ride­sharing vehicle became stuck on Prospect Street, forcing firefighters to rescue the stranded driver and passenger, said Fire Lt. Scott Perry.

Multiple roads throughout the state -- including the Lynnway in Lynn, Mystic Avenue at the McGrath Highway in Somerville and part of the Longfellow Bridge in Boston -- had to be temporarily closed due to flash flooding, state police Sgt. Paul Sullivan said.

A flash flood watch remained in effect for parts of Massachusetts until 2 a.m. today, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, North Carolina officials said their state's death toll from Hurricane Florence has risen to 27.

Sonja Bennett-Bellamy, a spokeswoman for that state's Department of Public Safety, said a 46-year-old woman was killed in Rutherford County when a tree fell on her vehicle while she was driving.

The fatality brings the overall storm death toll to at least 35 in three states.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump plans to travel today to North Carolina, which bore the brunt of the powerful storm.

Herald wire services contributed to this story.

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