Utility crews were scattered across Maine on Friday restoring power to tens of thousands of customers impacted by a series of powerful wind and rain storms a day earlier that caused at least one death.

By 8:30 a.m., about 15,000 households remained without electricity, according to Central Maine Power and Versant, the state’s two main utilities. That’s down from roughly 60,000 late Thursday night. 

High winds blew trees onto power lines and onto roads, including Route 15 in the Penobscot County town of Corinth. A woman was driving northbound early Thursday afternoon when a tree limb of “substantial size” fell on the vehicle, penetrated the windshield and struck her. She died at the scene, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

A youth in the front seat sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital while a young child in the back seat was uninjured, the sheriff’s office said.

The Corinth Fire Department posted about the incident on social media Thursday evening, noting its impact on first responders as well.

“We extend our deepest condolences to family and friends of those involved and ask for thoughts for those responders that handled this very difficult incident,” the department said in its post.

Severe thunderstorms made the response “somewhat difficult,” the fire department said.

A slew of public safety departments reported responding to calls for wires and trees down in roads in social media posts Thursday, from Rumford to Rockport to St. Albans.

Many areas of the state were under severe thunderstorm watch Thursday afternoon.