KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — Downgraded to a tropical storm, Irene still packed enough punch to cause more than 200,000 power outages, cause flash flooding and send dozens of Mainers to shelters as strong wind gusts and rain buffeted parts of the state on Sunday.

Strong winds that knocked down trees on Sunday were expected to continue gusting to 50 mph through the night, the National Weather Service said. Heavy rainfall in northwestern Maine led to numerous road closings.

“We’ve seen nor’easters that have been bigger, but this one is still impressive. You get the sea spray in your face. That’s what it’s all about, a little taste of the sea,” said Joe Rolland of Kennebunk as he watched the waves crash against the rocky shore in Kennebunkport, sending spray shooting upward.

The wind knocked out power to 182,000 Central Maine Power Co. customers, said utility spokesman John Carroll. Farther north, Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. reported more than 29,000 outages, the bulk in Hancock County.

The heaviest rainfall was in western Maine, where meteorologists estimated that 8 to 9 inches had fallen in northern Oxford County. Other areas had totals in the 2-4 inch range.

North of Carrabassett Valley, a Route 27 bridge failed and the town’s residents were left temporarily stranded because Route 27 to the south was covered with water, said Clyde Ross, an emergency management spokesman in Franklin County.

Numerous trees were reported knocked down by the wind, including one that loomed menacingly over Route 302 while caught in power lines in the Windham area.

Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached Maine after moving up the Eastern Seaboard, but it still carried some wallop.

“I didn’t think it was going to be this bad. I don’t think people took it as seriously as they should have,” Patricia St. Laurent of South Portland said after snapping photos of churning seas that tossed several sailboats violently off Portland’s East End Beach. “I never in a million years thought it would be like this.”

While the rain ended earlier than expected in southern Maine, the Maine Emergency Management Agency issued a reminder that the storm was not over and dangerous conditions could last into Monday, especially near the coast where the surf could remain high. High tide late Sunday night was also seen as a flood threat along parts of the coast, and Acadia National Park planned to close a section of its Park Loop Road overnight.

In the Camp Ellis section of Saco, windblown surf splashed against homes a mere 10 yards from the seawall as Joey Said battled the elements to reinforce plywood window coverings on a house where he and family members were vacationing.

“We got a front-row view,” said the Cambridge, Mass., resident.

In the tourist town of Old Orchard Beach, neon No Vacancy signs gleamed through the rain and all of the amusements were shut down. On the beach, folk-blues singer Anni Clark, wearing raingear from head to toe, strolled along to take in the sight.

“I like to witness Mother Nature at her best and worst,” Clark said. “Mother Nature is doing a big old dance and I want to dance with her.”

Across the region, about 60 people were staying in shelters. In Portland, some of the 30 people staying at a city-operated shelter at the Portland Expo included people with island homes in Casco Bay, a city spokeswoman said.

Scores of churches canceled services, and other weekend events, including an air show in Brunswick and a folk festival in Bangor, called off Sunday’s performances. The state closed a total of 27 state parks for the day, mostly along the coast.

Students in several school districts that were due to start Monday were told they were getting an extra day of summer vacation.

Offshore, seas were expected to build to about 20 feet. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross and other relief agencies had dispatched officials to Maine before the storm hit and Gov. Paul LePage, who had declared a state of emergency, advised Mainers on Saturday to take the storm seriously.

Portland International Jetport remained open Sunday, but nearly all flights for the day and some scheduled for Monday morning had been cancelled, city officials said. All flights from Bangor International Airport were cancelled Sunday

As Irene blew through the state, some Maine businesses used their Yankee ingenuity to turn a buck and have a bit of fun at the expense of the heavily hyped storm.

Papa J’s and the Lobster Bar in Belfast, usually closed Sundays, planned to open for a few hours for a hurricane party, said owner Vernon Baker.

“It’s an excuse to make pretty pink drinks and play some Zimba music,” said Baker.

The Maine Democratic Party was going ahead with its Muskie Lobster Bake in Freeport, and moved the event indoors while billing Sunday’s event as Muskie 2011 Hurricane Party.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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