"Perils lurk in Irene’s wake; Flooded rivers, downed wires still plague parts of region" August 30, 2011|By Peter Schworm and Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff
The storm-swept region confronted the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene yesterday, laboring to restore washed-out roads and farms in Western Massachusetts and repair downed power lines across the state that left nearly half a million residents without electricity a second day.
We never lost power where I am.
A 52-year-old Southbridge man was electrocuted when he touched a railing on his porch that had come into contact with a downed wire.
His death was the state’s first casualty linked to Irene, which is responsible for 40 deaths in 11 states, according to the Associated Press. At least three people have died in Vermont, which is battling its worst flooding in perhaps a century, and two died in Connecticut.
The storm, which churned through Massachusetts Sunday afternoon, caused flooding along the Connecticut River, particularly around the western towns of Greenfield and Northampton, where 30 homes in a low-lying neighborhood were evacuated yesterday.
In rural towns along the Vermont border, many roads remained impassable, and officials warned that swollen rivers in the Springfield, Mass., area would remain a threat today.
“That’s ground zero for the flooding,’’ said Scott MacLeod of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency....
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Vermont got it worse:
"In Vt., raging waters isolate communities" August 30, 2011|By Bryan Marquard and Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff
MONTPELIER - Flooding that officials compared to Vermont’s worst natural disaster isolated entire cities and towns, closed main roads across the state, and killed at least three people.
Heavy rains from what had been Hurricane Irene caused rivers to overflow, taking down utility poles, flooding basements, and cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes. The violent waters washed away picturesque covered bridges and crested above marks set by the 1927 floods that are the measuring stick for all Vermont disasters.
“It was worse than we could have imagined, frankly,’’ said Tom Donahue, president of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, which serves an area of the state left almost entirely isolated. “It’s once-in-a-lifetime damage - hopefully. I really feel everyone was prepared, but I don’t think you could have been fully prepared for something of this magnitude.’’
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"Outages may stretch to weekend" August 30, 2011|By D.C. Denison, Globe Staff
Utility companies warned yesterday that it could take up to a week before power is restored to more than 500,000 residents in Massachusetts who remained without electricity in one of the largest outages in state history....
Even as the state’s biggest utilities, NStar and National Grid, dispatched crews to fix power lines, officials asked consumers to be patient. Not only was there extensive damage, they said, but there were also fewer repair crews dispatched from nearby states because they were dealing with the effects of Irene in their own areas....
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Related:
Irene’s lashing thins Hub’s canopy
Thousands of travelers stranded as flights and trains canceled
After Irene, expect premiums to rise
Death toll across states rises to 40
Connecticut 2 dead, dozens of homes lost, but ‘it could have been worse’
Maine Utility in Maine says power may take days to restore
New Hampshire Lynch says repairs to done by weekend
RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island governor won’t seek federal disaster status
Globe Editorial Irene’s damage was extensive, but preparations paid off
Also see:
Good Night, Irene
Ignoring Irene
Irene's Impact
So much swept away
In Vermont towns, stranded by washed-out roads and bridges, the situation was so desperate that the National Guard yesterday delivered food and water by helicopter.
- Soggy summer intensified storm’s effects in Vt.
- Flooding, outages stay as reminders of storm’s wrath
- Conflict in Congress could slow victim aid
- As waters from Irene recede, threat of mold rises
- Financial toll is in billions, but pales next to Katrina's
- After the storm, it’s house to house to restore power
- Cable customers turn to smartphones for Internet
- Banks waive fees in states hit by Irene
