RUMFORD — A National Weather Service meteorologist said Thursday that central and northern sections of Oxford County were the hardest hit by a powerful thunderstorm early Wednesday evening.

“We had all the makings of a severe thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon,” Mike Kistner of the NWS office in Gray said. “A cold front from the north was pushing in, coupled with a very hot and humid air mass over us.

“The hot, humid conditions caused significant updrafts forming those large thunderheads which formed Wednesday,” Kistner said. “When the storm hit we had tremendous strength downdrafts capable of producing microbursts.”

“Given the significant number of downed trees in your area, I wouldn’t be surprised if you received 60 to 70 mph winds,” he said.

The powerful winds and multiple lightning strikes felled hundreds of trees onto utility lines, roads and properties, knocking out power to hundreds of River Valley residents and making travel treacherous.

Downed trees on Route 2 in Hanover closed that main highway between Rumford and Bethel. Several homes sustained damage from wind and fallen trees, including that of Jim Stowell on Route 232 in Rumford.

The most significant damage was to the Mt. Abram Family Resort Lodge, which caught fire after a lightning strike. Six fire departments battled the blaze for six hours. The lodge was badly damaged.

There were no reports of major motor vehicle accidents during the storm, an Oxford County Regional Communications Center official in Paris said.

At the peak of the storm, 18,000 homes were without power, according to a Central Maine Power Co. statement. Some residents, including those in West Peru, were without power for nearly 18 hours.

“We expect to have service restored to all remaining customers by late Thursday evening, according to Jim Carroll of CMP.

“Its been a busy summer so far,” Kistner said. “We just had those strong thunderstorms on the Fourth of July. But overall the amount of storms we’ve had this summer isn’t extraordinarily high.

“One’s home is always the safest place to be in a thunderstorm,” Kistner said. “Just remember to be cautious with water and/or electrical devices in the midst of a lightning storm.”

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