SOUTHINGTON, Conn. -- Strong winds wreaked havoc across many parts of the state on Monday.

Officers surrounded a Southington shopping plaza with barricades after heavy winds tore pieces of the roof off.

Several tiles from the roof of the former Shaw's on Queen Street were torn from the building.

Police said that no one was inside the building at the time and no one was injured.

The winds downed trees, which in turn took down power lines across the state, leaving thousands of residents in the dark.

Connecticut Light & Power reported that more than 3,000 residents were without power in Middletown earlier in the day because of downed trees and wires in the area of East and West Lake Drive.

A tree also took down wires in Glastonbury, leading to the closure of Route 17 for several hours. The roadway was closed from Old Maids Lane to the Portland town line.