Joseph Shortill said he was driving along Mussey Road in Scarborough around 8 p.m. Wednesday when “bam,” he hit a pothole.

The jarring bump in the road knocked his Honda out of gear, but he said no major damage was sustained. Around the same time, Shorthill said three other drivers were in the Lowes parking lot dealing with flat tires and bent rims after driving over the same hole.

Scarborough Police responded to calls in that area, Scarborough Police Sergeant Steve Thibodeau said. Wednesday night was the first report he is aware of involving damage to vehicles that hit a pothole in Scarborough.

But spokesperson for the City of Portland Nicole Clegg said the public works department has been fielding calls about the growing number of potholes on a daily basis.

“We have crews out everyday filling potholes with temporary patches,” Clegg said, but complicating the process is the weather. “The real challenge we have right now is the freeze thaw.”

Warmer temperatures earlier this week melted some snow and ice, which flowed into cracks or temporary patches in the road. Since then, freezing temperatures have caused these patches to pop or cracks to widen, Clegg said.

If you spot a pothole in Portland, Clegg said call public works at 874-8493. She said the department will repair the hole within 24 hours, but to be mindful holes may reoccur based on weather conditions.

Other municipalities will also field pothole complaints for roads within their jurisdiction.