Prewinter Storm Topples Trees Across Northern New England, Creating Widespread Power Losses

What began as a run-of-the-mill November rainstorm took a wintry turn overnight, blanketing parts of northern New England with over half a foot of dense, heavy snow. The early season snowfall brought down trees and power lines across the region, leaving tens of thousands without electricity amidst slick roads and bone-chilling temperatures.

In Vermont, where snowfall accumulations topped six inches in many areas, a tanker truck carrying 10,000 gallons of propane crashed and erupted in flames as the driver lost control on a snow-covered stretch of Route 14 in Irasburg.

The intense fire fueled by the escaping gas could be seen from miles away, prompting state police to order evacuations of surrounding homes and a pair of local schools as a precaution. Given fears of a potential explosion, a 1-mile perimeter was established around the scene.

Firefighters opted to let the blaze burn itself out after drone reconnaissance revealed the tank had been punctured in the crash, reducing the risk of a massive detonation. Meanwhile, emergency crews hurried to contain the runoff to prevent contamination of the Black River as propane turned to gas and dissipated.

Fortunately, the driver escaped unscathed, but the crash snarled traffic across the area for hours.