Storm Downs Trees, Cuts Power to Northeast Part of Town
- Philip Thibodeau
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A powerful storm that thundered across the state Saturday evening left thousands of Southington residents in the dark as strong winds toppled trees onto streets, power lines and, in a few cases, homes.
As of 3pm on Sunday afternoon, 1,726 Eversource customers were still without power – a figure that represents about 1 in 10 Southington businesses and homes. According to William Palmieri, the town’s Emergency Management Director, Police, Fire, and Public Works crews are on the ground and in direct communication with Eversource personnel as restoration efforts continue. Police officers have responded to more than 33 public hazard calls involving trees that have fallen on vehicles or powerlines.
Eversource’s outage map indicates that several hundred customers should have their power restored by daybreak Monday morning. However, it also shows that some users in the area of Pattonwood Drive may have to wait until Wednesday, July 8, for their service to return.
Damage from the storm was concentrated in the northeast corner of Southington, above a line running roughly from Town Line Road to Flanders School to Carey Street. In the middle of the afternoon Sunday, several businesses and traffic lights on Queen Street north of I-84 were still without power. In the neighborhood of Thalberg School, the noise of generators filled the air as crews worked on lines along Dunham Street that were downed by trees.
Some of the most dramatic damage from the storm was visible to drivers on I-84. Half a dozen large trees fell onto the interstate during Saturday’s squall, bringing traffic to a near halt. On the highway’s east side, mature oak trees could be seen lying on the greens of the Hawk's Landing golf course. The town reported three cases of trees hitting homes on Pattonwood Drive, and others that fell near Flanders Road left it closed to through traffic.
South of that area, neighborhoods that went relatively unscathed alternated with ones that had no power. Harness Drive was blocked by a mess of wires and tree limbs:
Near Flanders School, on Sun Valley and Cianci Drives, several massive oak trees lay uprooted:
On the eastern edge of town, a large tree was uprooted by the corner of Mine Hollow and Long Bottom Roads:
The woods along Andrews Street were also full of downed branches and crownless tree trunks.
Almost every tree that we observed in Southington fell in a southward or southeastward direction. Had a tornado come through, trees caught in its vortex would have fallen in random directions. But that does not mean the winds weren’t strong. Windspeeds need to be around 60 mph to uproot a mature, healthy oak – which is the speed encountered in a weak, F0 tornado.
This story and photos will be updated tomorrow morning.
Advice to Residents
Palmieri’s office has release the following advice to residents affected by the storm:
The following guidance supplements the town's storm response updates. Residents with emergencies should always call 911 first.
Downed Power Lines
• Treat every downed line as live and dangerous, even if it appears dead or is lying quietly on the ground. Stay at least 35 to 100 feet away from any downed power line.
• Never touch anything in contact with a downed line, including tree limbs, fences, vehicles, or standing water.
• If a line falls on your vehicle while you're inside, stay in the car and call 911. Only exit if the vehicle is on fire, and if you must, jump clear with both feet together and shuffle away without touching the car and ground at the same time.
• Report downed lines to 911 and the utility company. Do not attempt to move them or drive over them.
Generator Safety
• Run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from your home, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. Never run a generator in a garage, basement, or enclosed porch — even with doors open.
• Carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible. If you feel dizzy, weak, or nauseated while a generator is running, get to fresh air immediately and call 911.
• Make sure working carbon monoxide detectors are installed on every level of your home.
• Let the generator cool before refueling; gasoline spilled on hot engine parts can ignite.
• Never plug a generator directly into a wall outlet ("back feeding") — it can electrocute utility workers and neighbors. Use heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cords or a transfer switch installed by an electrician.
Food Safety During Outages
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours; a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full).
• Discard perishable food (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, leftovers) that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours.
• Never taste food to determine whether it's safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
• If flooding is possible, move food and drinking water to higher shelves. Discard any food that has come into contact with floodwater.
Heavy Rain/Flood Preparedness
• Report clogged basins through the town's citizen report app so crews can address them before the rain arrives.
• Move vehicles out of low-lying areas and off streets prone to ponding.
• Never drive through flooded roadways. Six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, and twelve inches can carry away most vehicles. Turn around.
• Move valuables, electronics, and hazardous materials (paint, fuel, chemicals) off basement floors.
• If you have a sump pump, test it regularly and consider a battery backup given ongoing outages.
• Charge phones and backup batteries while power is available, and keep flashlights — not candles — on hand.
General Reminders
• Keep several days of potable water (one gallon per person per day) and non-perishable food on hand in case outages or downed trees make travel impossible.
• Check on elderly neighbors and anyone who relies on electrically powered medical equipment.
• Give utility and public works crews plenty of room to work, and expect restoration to proceed from major infrastructure outward to individual streets.
