Power was knocked out for more than 700,000 customers in an area stretching from Virginia north through New England, including over 278,000 in Massachusetts and 263,000 in Maine, according to poweroutage.us.
In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills said all state offices would close for the afternoon.
“With the storm expected to grow stronger in the coming hours, I encourage all Maine people to be safe and vigilant and to exercise caution when traveling,” she said in a statement.
Municipalities chose to close offices early Monday, including Lewiston, Auburn and Gray.
Police in Windham said part of a tree fell and killed a man. Troy Olsen, 40, was on his roof at 56 Vance Drive at 12:18 p.m. when he was struck by a tree, police said.
Olsen, according to Police Chief Kevin Schofield, "was trying to clear off a piece of a large pine tree that had fallen on his home" due to the storm.
"While doing so, a second piece broke off the tree, striking Mr. Olson and killing him immediately," Schofield said.
Weather knocked out power to street lights in Portland, Maine’s largest city, tying up traffic and stirring confusion at busy intersections. Wind ripped Christmas decorations from yards and homes, scattering them in city streets.
Maine’s two biggest utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant, have reported more than 45,000 in the dark as of 9 a.m. CMP reported more than 45,000 customers were without power, while Versant reported just over 1,600 outages. CMP serves 673,950 customers, and Versant serves a total of 166,537 customers.
Throughout Monday, the numbers steadily went up. By 3 p.m., CMP was reporting more than 340,000 outages, with the highest concentration in Cumberland County, with just over 70,000 customers without power. Versant was reporting at 3 p.m. nearly 32,000 outages, with more than 3,700 outages reported in Brewer alone.
Fire departments throughout York County were on alert Monday, responding to calls of downed wires, some of them causing small fires in Wells and Sanford.
Other reports indicated roadways blocked by minor flooding or fallen trees. Lewiston School Superintendent Jake Langlais posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that road conditions were causing "some significant delays" with buses.
"Buses are running into various challenges including trees etc.," he wrote. "One driver was in an accident on the way in and one is stuck between downed trees."
In South Portland, power remained out at noontime near the Maine Mall, with traffic lights not working.
In Augusta, Gov. Janet Mills advised that all state offices would close at 1 p.m. Capitol Police have reported a partial collapse of scaffolding outside the Cross Office Building due to high winds.
The National Weather Service said the storm, described as “a potent low-pressure system,” will be moving through the state all day long, with high wind warnings remaining in effect in southern Maine through 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Winds will blow throughout the day at 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph possible. Heavy rains could lead to rivers cresting and areas prone to high water could experience flooding. The service warned that the Farmington, Rumford and Wilton areas are under a flash flood warning until 7 p.m. Monday.
After Tuesday morning, forecasts indicate quiet and dry weather through the holiday weekend. As residents look to cleran up, the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Foresttry released tips and suggestions for homeowners.
The department urged homeowners with trees entangled in power lines to work with their local power company to fix the problem. In other cases, especially when climbing or chainsaw work is necessary, the department recommended working with a licensed arborist.
"Beware of fly-by-night emergency tree-cutting services, and always request proof of licensing, insurance and references," the department wrote.
With reporting from Patrick Whittle of the Associated Press.