Before the barbecues and parties start, the SouthCoast is spending its Fourth of July cleaning up after a freak thunderstorm swept through the region on July 3, with winds over 60 mph uprooting trees and leaving hundreds without power.

The storm raged through Southern New England, striking Greater Fall River around 7:30 p.m. According to the National Weather Service, gales above 60 mph were recorded.

According to scanner reports, police and fire were kept busy through the evening as flooding was reported at multiple locations, trees were blown into buildings and across streets, and power lines were taken out. A building under construction on Bank Street between Durfee and North Main partially collapsed; no one was reported injured.

See more at heraldnews.com.