This was a historic storm

This was a historic storm

What’s the first thing you did when the power came back on? Take a shower? Do the dishes? Clean out the refrigerator and freezer? Do the laundry? The list goes on.

For most of you reading these words, this question will apply. Some in our readership escaped the ravages of Tropical Storm Isaias, which struck the region on Tuesday, Aug. 4, but they were few. Most of us lost power and internet for days; here’s hoping that as you are reading this, all the conveniences of 21st century living have returned for you.

Thanks are in order for all those who worked to clean up the incredible devastation that was left behind throughout the Northwest Corner, but especially in severely affected Sharon, North Canaan, Kent and Cornwall. The town road crews were out clearing trees and limbs as soon as humanly possible. In fact, this writer spoke to one area resident who took an hour-and-a-half rather than 20 minutes to get home from work Tuesday afternoon, stopping to clear multiple downed trees in the backroads of North and East Canaan along with other intrepid travelers who needed to clear their way to move forward. He and those in a line of cars hoping to make their way through the rubble were fortunate to run into a tree company, finally, at the last roadblock, which helped them in their task.

But clearing the limbs and branches was not simple at any time, as live wires must always be expected and respected in such clearing. Thanks to the power company workers who did that part of the clearing, and who finally did power up the state. Their jobs, feet on the ground, were hard, and they were the ones who bore the brunt of frustrated citizens’ complaints about the slow recovery, while the company higher ups were trying to explain to the governor why they didn’t have more linemen helping. The planned investigation needs to look critically at how the money the state has supported the power companies with is being spent.

Thanks to Marshall Miles and all at Robin Hood Radio for keeping communication going for so many who had to rely on wind-up radios to know what was happening in the outside world. And thanks to our municipal leaders in all our towns for keeping on the mission of helping their residents through the difficulties and even dangers of powerless living. 

Thanks also to those at The Lakeville Journal, especially Executive Editor Cynthia Hochswender, who ventured out as soon as they could to see the storm damage and record it for our readers and future historians to see first online, and then in the newspaper this week. This was the kind of event, like the tornado that took down the Cathedral Pines in Cornwall decades ago and the autumn snowstorm that left the region without power for many days in 2011, that needs to be chronicled for present and future readers.