Businesses and residences in Scarborough lost power Wednesday afternoon because of high winds.

Approximately 3,000 homes and businesses lost power in the Portland service area, which includes Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth. Some 60,000 homes and businesses, primarily in York, Cumberland, Kennebec and Androscoggin counties, lost power.

Central Maine Power reported damage throughout its 11,000-mile service territory. “Strong winds had blown tree limbs and branches onto power lines all across our service area,” said Central Maine Power spokesman John Carroll.

Central Maine Power reported the Portland service area had 3,000 without power at 4:30 p.m. Oak Hill lost power for about an hour, causing businesses to shut down until power was restored.

Jill Hill, who works the counter at Oak Hill Dry Cleaners, was able to take new orders and write them down on a piece of paper and enter them into the computer once power was restored.

However, she was not able to give out cleaned clothes since it required the computer and the use of the electric clothes rack.

Customers “were fine with it. They understood,” she said. “People just said they would come back in the morning.”

More than 150 line workers and additional support personnel worked in the field and in Central Maine Power’s service centers Wednesday afternoon to bring power back online as quickly as possible. The weather made the job more challenging.

“Strong winds and heavy rain have made the going pretty tough for our crews,” Carroll said. “But they will continue to work into, and if necessary, through the night to try and get service back-up.”

High winds are believed to have caused this tree to fall into a house on Gorham Road Tuesday afternoon. No injuries were reported, but the tree is believed to have caused serious damage to the home.