Joe Prazeres, of 1 Harris Ave., Warren, examines the severe damage to his century-old oak in his front yard. The tree had recently been trimmed, but the storm took out too many remaining branches to save it.

The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires

WARREN — The emergency — a freak summer storm that pummeled the town on Wednesday — had already passed.

But National Guard Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, the state adjutant general, had told local officials after last winter’s unexpected December snowstorm that if they ever needed a hand to give them a call.

So Fire Chief Alexander Galinelli picked up the phone on Wednesday to let officials of the state’s Emergency Management Agency know about the mess of tree limbs that the wind had left on Harris Avenue between Metacom Avenue and the Kickemuit River.

Yesterday, the Guard showed up bright and early at the town Highway Department to help workers clear away the debris, the chief said, saving the town a lot of time.

At one point on Wednesday, the town had to close the road, but highway workers succeeded in moving tree branches to the side of the pavement and traffic resumed before the end of the day, Galinelli said.

Yesterday, National Guardsmen and the highway employees worked to clear the debris from public land surrounding Harris Avenue while homeowners brought in private tree services to take away trees that had been destroyed or weakened by the wind.

The winds had been so strong on Wednesday that they had pushed a U-Haul trailer into the middle of Metacom Avenue, Galinelli recalled.

In neighboring Bristol, lightning struck a house on Dominic Court, damaging the roof and chimney, according to the police.

Trees fell on three cars in Bristol and at least a dozen trees blocked roads, including one on Hope Street just north of Gooding Avenue, the police said.

gmacris@projo.com