Storm Cuts Power, Closes South Main Street

By Andrew Gorosko

An intense, quick-moving thunderstorm hit sections of town midafternoon on Saturday, July 19, bringing down numerous trees and electrical lines, resulting in 1,300 Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P) customers losing their electricity at the height of the scattered outages.

The storm caused a large pine tree to crack and fall across primary-service electrical lines near Mona Lisa Restaurant at 160 South Main Street, resulting in that section of South Main Street (Route 25) closing to through-traffic for about eight hours. Police detoured drivers around the affected area.

At 63 Philo Curtis Road, near Treadwell Park, a large tree fell onto a house, causing the roof to puncture.

The storm hit town about 3 pm, with its strong winds knocking down numerous trees or parts of trees. When those fallen trees hit electrical lines, they often caused power outages.

The two sections of town that were hardest hit are those covered by the Botsford and Sandy Hook volunteer fire companies.

Botsford firefighters responded to calls for service from South Main Street, Turkey Hill Road, Melody Lane, Huntingtown Road, Wills Road, Orchard Hill Road, and Pebble Road.

Sandy Hook firefighters were dispatched on storm-related calls to Philo Curtis Road, Dock Drive, Gelding Hill Road, Riverside Road, Bennetts Bridge Road, Jeremiah Road, and Forest Drive.

Hook & Ladder and Hawleyville firefighters also went to storm-related incidents.

Overall, firefighters went to about 20 storm-related calls starting at about 3 pm. (See this week’s Fire Reports for a complete listing).

CL&P spokesman Mitch Gross said that the height of outages occurred about 5 pm when 1,300 customers were without electricity. By 7:30 pm, about 475 customers remained without power. By midnight, only 72 customers were without electricity. CL&P has about 11,000 customers in Newtown.

“We work as quickly and as safely as we can,” he said, noting that restoring electrical service after a storm is a complex proposition during which workers seek to restore power to as many customers as soon as possible.

Botsford Fire Chief Wayne Ciaccia said he knew of no injuries from the storm.

Due to storm damage, Peck’s Lane, near its intersection with Turkey Hill Road was closed to through-traffic for a time, he said.

The closure of Peck’s Lane compounded traffic woes because Peck’s Lane would normally be used as a detour for a South Main Street road closure in that area.

The storm only lasted a few minutes, but it produced heavy rain and intense wind, plus lightning, Chief Ciaccia said.

About 15 Botsford firefighters used five fire vehicles, plus their personal vehicles, in responding to the numerous calls, he said.

Sandy Hook Fire Chief Bill Halstead said that the storm uprooted a large tree that fell atop a house at 63 Philo Curtis Road. The fallen tree cracked several roof rafters. That impact caused no injuries, he said.

A property restoration crew was called to the scene for emergency repairs to the structure. The residents were able to remain in their home.

Most calls for help on July 19 involved fallen trees which had brought down electrical lines with them, Chief Halstead said.

At 30 Dock Drive in the Riverside section, fallen electrical lines caused some wooden objects to catch fire, he said. But firefighters were able to prevent a nearby portable garage from burning.

Chief Halstead said the storm was very intense, but lasted only for a few minutes.

It was not nearly as intense as the tornado which hit Newtown in May 2007, he added.