Severe Thunderstorms Possible Today

The National Weather Service has issued a warning that severe thunderstorms may creep up on North Andover and the rest of Essex County Friday afternoon and evening.

"A few thunderstorms may become severe with the primary threat being damaging wind gusts," the warning says. "Heavy rainfall will also be a concern which could lead to isolated flooding if storms move over the same areas."

The storms are expected to start between 2 and 3 p.m. and move toward the coast this evening.

If you're planning to be outdoors, use caution and watch for gathering storm clouds.

Flooding could be an issue, especially in vulnerable spots like Route 125 near Osgood Landing and Route 114 near the North Andover Mall.

If your power goes out, call National Grid's power outage hotline at 1-800-465-1212.