A storm front of wind and rain blew through the area Tuesday afternoon, pulling down trees, electrical wires and in New London, slate pieces off a church building.

At 268 State St. at the Church of the City, firefighters received a call shortly before 5 p.m. about slate falling off the roof, New London Fire Department Battalion Chief Edward Sargent said.

"When we got there, there were pieces of slate that were blowing off the roof with the wind and falling onto the sidewalk and Washington Street," he said.

One car was struck and sustained minor damage. People walked nearby but no one was struck or hurt, he said.

As of 7:30 p.m., Eversource reported 1,063 customers without power in Waterford, or 11 percent of those served; 878 without power in Sprague, or 62 percent; and 297 without power in Preston, or 14 percent.

Firefighters in New London blocked off a 100-yard section of Washington Street, from State Street to about halfway to Methodist Street, due to the falling slate, Sargent said.

The city building official and church pastor also came to the scene.

Once the wind died down slate stopped falling, but the building official planned to evaluate the church in the morning.

The section of Washington Street was to remain closed through Tuesday night, Sargent said.

Earlier in the afternoon, a tree fell on Hall Avenue in New London and an electrical wire began burning near the library, Sargent said.

Hall Avenue was reopened by evening and wire was on private property so an electrician was expected to be brought in.

In Stonington, police closed Pequotsepos Road and Pequotsepos Road Extension due to downed trees and wires, Sgt. James McCaffery said.

Eversource was so busy it could not  provide a time it would reach the streets, McCaffery said.

A tree also fell on Lantern Hill Road, but it pulled down no wires, so the town removed it using a backhoe.

Norwich police reported Westledge Road closed at about 7 p.m. due to a downed tree, with public utilities crews working on it.

In East Lyme, a downed wire blocked a portion of Wildwood Drive, but the road remained passable.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim