Businesses recover after devastating July 4 storm

SALISBURY – A freezer filled with gallons of melted ice cream. That’s what Grassland Dessert Cafe owner William Colgan discovered after an unexpected storm caused widespread power outages throughout northwest Connecticut on the evening of July 4.

Salisbury was among the communities hit hardest by the storm and the days-long power outages that followed. For local business owners, losing power was only the beginning. After days without electricity, recovery proved even more challenging.

“In the ice cream business, temperature is a big deal,” Colgan said. “We probably can last about 6 to 10 hours without power. As long as the power comes back within that window, we’re good.”

However, Grassland was without power for roughly 48 hours, until service was restored on Main Street in Lakeville on July 6. Without a working generator to keep its freezers running, the recovery process quickly became complicated.

“We ended up throwing out about 50 to 55 gallon tubs of ice cream,” Colgan said. Unable to receive deliveries until the following Wednesday, the shop lost virtually its entire inventory.

Grassland serves ice cream from Gifford’s Ice Cream in Maine.

Yet even without any product to sell, Grassland kept its scheduled Make Your Own Sundae Night on Tuesday, July 7, for 30 students from a nearby private school.

“We went out and got some of our ice cream, not the three gallon tubs, but the same ice cream, and that went very well,” Colgan said.

Colgan purchased ice cream from a local market to avoid disappointing the group.

Grassland received a delivery from its supplier on the morning of July 8 and reopened later that afternoon.

Other businesses faced different challenges as they worked to recover from the storm.

After losing power and internet service and watching its signature front-lawn tree come down, The White Hart Inn and Provisions fully reopened July 10.

“Most of the damage structurally was done to the cottage we have on property called the Gideon Smith House,” said White Hart General Manager Daniel Winkley. “The landscape has just completely changed.”

The Gideon Smith House, a four-room guest cottage on the inn’s property, suffered a five-foot hole in its roof after heavy branches crashed onto the building. The damage has forced the cancellation of roughly two months of reservations.

The White Hart has been a community fixture in Salisbury for more than a decade. “We lost days of revenue,” said Winkley. During the outage, hotel reservations, dining service and events, including the inn’s weekly pizza night, were put on hold.

“It’s a bit like when Covid first happened,” Winkley said. “Going to work for four or five days without guests kind of reminds you why we’re in this business, it’s to take care of the people coming through.”

Despite the damage, cleanup was completed in time for about 80 people to gather on the inn’s lawn for the NASCAR Hauler Parade on July 10. While repairs continue to the Gideon Smith House, the inn has resumed normal operations.

For some local businesses, recovery was a much simpler process.

At Roaring Oaks Florist in Lakeville, owner Terence Miller noted that while power was lost, there was no property damage and only minimal loss of flower inventory. “We were very thankful to get power back Monday afternoon,” Miller said. “Much longer and would have needed to throw everything out.”

At Off the Trail Cafe in Falls Village, power was lost, but no damage to property or inventory occurred. The cafe remained closed the following Sunday due to lack of internet, but was able to reopen that Monday as usual.

But on their way to check on the cafe the morning after the storm, cafe owners Liz and Howard Ives came across an Appalachian Trail hiker hoping to get out of the rain. They brought the hiker back to the closed cafe for a break from the harsh weather and made him a sandwich.

The July 4 storm was one of the most damaging to hit the Northwest Corner in years. After days of cleanup and utility restoration, businesses across Salisbury and neighboring towns have largely returned to normal operations.

“The support from the community for us has been tremendous,” Winkley said. “We’re thrilled to be back.”