Powerful thunderstorms rumbled across the state Tuesday, bringing with them hail, heavy rains and high winds, scattered flooding and even two tornado warnings.

Many Cheshire County communities in the state's southwestern corner were stranded when heavy rains and flooding washed out state roads and major thoroughfares, Cheshire County Sheriff Richard Foote said.

He estimated about 15 major thoroughfares and state highways — most located in communities north of Keene — were washed out by rising rivers and streams or heavy rains as of 9 p.m. and had to be closed to keep people from driving off them.

No injuries were reported, he said.

State police and transportaition crews were helping local and county officials to try to reopen the roads and assess damage in the communities cut off by the road closures, Foote said. Cheshire and Sullivan counties along the state's western border appeared to have been pummeled worst by hail measuring up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter and gusting winds that brought down trees and power lines, National Weather Service meteorologist John Jensenius said Tuesday.

The region also had heavy rains, severe thunderstorms and two tornado warnings issued for Cheshire County during the mid-afternoon, he said. There were no reports of tornadoes touching down by last night, he said.

Scattered flooding was reported in several Cheshire County communities last night, including Keene, Alstead, Surry and Westmoreland.

Portions of Coos, Carroll and Grafton counties in northern New Hampshire were under a flash flood warning Tuesday as the region was forecast to receive two to five inches of rain in addition to the two to four inches that fell the night before, Jensenius said.

Public Service of New Hampshire reported 2,780 customers in the southwestern and western portions of the state were without powerat 9 p.m.