At around 7 pm Thursday, August 27, more than 700 Newtown Eversource customers were still experiencing an unwanted sort of déjà vu.

A storm of unexpected intensity brushed Newtown this afternoon around 4:30 pm, but walloped the communities of Hamden and Branford, according to Governor Ned Lamont - also impacting Waterbury and remote Kent, which may have seen one of several suspected tornadoes brought by the high speed front.

Newtown Deputy Emergency Management Director Maureen Will told The Newtown Bee that at 6:30 pm Thursday, approximately 15 roads were affected by fallen trees. At that time Eversource was showing 711 Newtown customers in the dark.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said he expects Eversource to "get this one cleaned up quickly."

"We'll lean on Eversource to get things restored," the first selectman said. "Newtown had 82 percent without power after Isaias. Today we have a fraction of that. I don't see as long a duration issue. And thankfully there are no reports of anybody injured.

"Save the chainsaw for tomorrow - best to wait for light," Rosenthal added.

While Rosenthal said he was told no roads were completely closed, Will confirmed that Route 34 and Route 25 were completely open through the duration of the weather event.

Will said she spoke directly with Public Works Director Fred Hurley, who said "We're doing all right," Will related. "He said all the crews were out and making safe."

Will also reiterated a familiar message with a new insight when addressing the many instances where caution tape or road block measures are being moved or removed.

"We know the power and tree crews are looking for that," Will said of the orange cones, sawhorses, and bright yellow warning tape installed by emergency responders to close down roads.

So if the power crews cannot see the barrier or tape, it could delay power restoration, she explained.

Will said Newtown residents will continue to hear rumbles of thunder - and the county remains under a severe thunder storm warning and tornado watch untill 8 pm Thursday.

Will echoed information evident on emergency scanners starting shortly after initial blasts of wind raked the Sandy Hook area just ahead of rush hour Thursday. Once the front moved in with full intensity, downed tree and wire calls were stacking up so fast, dispatch had to receive and transmit some by phone.

Lamont, in a hastily arranged press briefing, said the state was taken by surprise by a rogue storm that caused pockets of heavy damage with reports still coming in.

The governor described a scene related to him by Hamden public works staff - who saw a tree spin into the air taking a jumble of wires with it before it dropped back to the ground and toppled. Areas of the Merritt Parkway were closed due to debris, according to news reports.