Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday before it smashed into the region. Towns across Southcoast began feeling Irene's effects early Sunday with the brunt of the storm coming in the late morning and early afternoon.

Mattapoisett Town Beach flooded and authorities reported numerous downed power lines and trees throughout Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester along with several boats that have come loose from their moorings.

NSTAR reported that 200,000 customers were without power as of 8 a.m. Monday.

3,000 available employees, along with contract crews and tree specialists, are working around the clock to restore power. Areas of Rochester are already seeing power but Marion and Mattapoisett could be in the dark for 36 hours or longer.

Residents experiencing power outages are asked to call NSTAR at 1-800-592-2000. Authorities are not able to call NSTAR on behalf of a consumer.

Make sure to check out our videos of Town Beach and Shipyard Park seeing the first effects of Irene Sunday morning.