Funnel clouds spotted in Haverhill, Newburyport region

Aug. 22--Funnel clouds were spotted in the Haverhill and Newburyport region during a tornado warning Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported.

The severe thunderstorm punctuated by whipping rain flooded streets, brought down trees and knocked out power for more than 10,000 customers.

Meteorologists did not confirm if a tornado actually touched down, but the National Weather Service received several reports of funnel clouds in Essex County.

A funnel cloud is a "circulation within a storm that never touches the ground," said National Weather Service meteorologist Kim Buttrick. "If it touches the ground, it's a tornado."

Later in the day, a storm-chaser said he was near "very rapid rotation" in Hooksett, N.H.

"Scared the crap out of me," Hunter Fowkes tweeted. "I've chased tornadoes for 10 years and this one was a bit close for me."

More than 9,000 customers were without power in Haverhill at 3:45 p.m., along with more than 1,000 customers in Methuen, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

"Very heavy rainfall in Haverhill, Ma," Joel Albair tweeted. "This spot is usually a horse shoe playing area. Totally flooded out."

Numerous large branches and wires were down in Methuen, according to National Weather Service reports.

"CAUTION! TRAFFIC LIGHTS NOT WORKING! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!" Methuen police tweeted. "Due to the storm, the traffic lights at PROSPECT STREET and SWAN STREET are NOT Functioning at this time. Crews are in route to rectify this problem. Use extreme caution in the area."

In Tyngsboro, a church was struck by lightning, according to town officials. The First Parish Meeting House was hit by lightning at around 2 p.m.

"At this time, we are asking that all residents please stay away from the building until further notice," the town said in a statement. "The Town is moving quickly to have the structural integrity assessed and to file the appropriate insurance paperwork to fund the necessary repairs."

After the tornado warning expired around 3:30 p.m., severe storms with damaging wind and hail continued to threaten the region for several hours.

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