Arriving in Needham around mid-morning on Sunday, Aug. 28, Tropical Storm Irene brought a fair share of damage around town, downing huge trees and limbs and causing power outages in several areas. No word yet on when power will be returned, but as of 4:00 p.m., NSTAR was reporting about 175,000 customers were without power, with the biggest concentration on the South Shore and in the greater Bedford area. 

In an update to the media around 4:00 p.m., NSTAR spokesperson Caroline Allen said that all 3,000 company employees were working to restore power in affected areas.

"We will continue to work around the clock until all power is restored," Allen said.

She encouraged residents still without power to report the outages by calling 800-592-2000 and reminded people to stay clear of any downed wires and to report them both to NSTAR and to local emergency personnel, such as the Needham Fire Department, Needham Police Department and Department of Public Works.

Needham Patch will have more on the impact of Tropical Storm Irene on Needham as information becomes available. 

In the mean time, we encourage readers to share their photos, video and news tips with us in the comments section below, by e-mailing Becca.Manning@Patch.com or by calling 781-217-4233.