A powerful storm left some people in Barrington without power and others without vehicles. 

The rain and wind started late Sunday night, Dec. 17, and grew stronger as people tried to make their way to work and school on Monday morning. The early commute was a mess in Barrington. 

Police said the first call for storm damage came in at about 7 a.m.: wind knocked down a tree and pulled down wires on Nayatt Road near Freemont Avenue. Police diverted the traffic through a nearby neighborhood.

Then officials learned of another tree down near the intersection of Middle Highway and the East Bay Bike Path. A detour was not an option, said Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia. So officers told motorists they needed to turn around and head back the way from which they came. 

An electrical transformer atop a utility pole on County Road exploded, showering the roadside and yards with sparks. Firefighters rushed to that scene. 

Meanwhile a different crew responded to the intersection of County Road and Federal — one of the busiest areas in town during the morning commute to school — for a wire down. The timing was terrible, and cars carrying students were backed up in all directions. 

Police said the stalled traffic had improved a short time later.