Family, Neighbors Lifelines to Residents Still Without Power

When Hurricane Irene hit early Sunday, it knocked out power to as much as 47 percent of Middetown CL&P customers.

By Friday afternoon, it was getting harder to find people in Middletown who still didn’t have electricity. It seemed like most folks were back on the grid on either Thursday or by Friday morning, but there were still a few neighborhoods waiting to see the light, and many residents east of Middletown, including Killingworth, Haddam and down county were still in the dark.  

Luther Ridge, a senior living community in Westfield, was hit particularly hard — no electricity for five days. Residents were happily powered up by Friday morning. 

“The lights are back on,” said a resident who asked not to be identified. “But now there’s a stomach bug going around and I’m sick!  If I’m going to be sick, at least it’s not in the dark.”  

“The first couple of days were actually fun and challenging,” said Middletown resident Melissa Byron, “but then after a while, it became annoying and I was feeling extremely lonely and bored. 

"I would take walks, visit Klekolo [World Coffee], and probably texted more than usual," she said. "My coworkers were really supportive; one friend brought in four bags of ice, I borrowed a cooler, and I moved all of my food to another friend’s refrigerator. It was those random acts of kindness that kept me feeling positive.”  

While many people were left unscathed by Irene, there were pockets that experienced extensive damage, including Long Lane, where 25 mature trees were knocked right out the ground by wind gusts.

Lisa Lane in Westfield, a cul-de-sac of 17 homes, experienced a similar concentration of damage, losing six mature trees which fell directly onto the street in a concentrated area and took down four telephone poles. Most of the homes had their wires yanked off, blocking driveways for more than six days. 

While there are no official reports, some suspect the localized damage is indicative of a possible microburst. This is characterized by straight-line winds which can cause significant damage in a relatively small geographic area, twisting trees and telephone poles and pulling them right out of the ground.  

“It looks like a tornado hit,” said Debbie Mathre, who has been busy taking down damaged trees and dragging fallen limbs to the curb for pickup by the public works department.  

In spite of more than five days without electric or telephone, most residents were taking the time-out in stride. Joe Pritchard stated he "passed the time reading books, magazines and listening to the radio.” 

“There’s not much else you can do except adapt,” said Natalie Pritchard.

Lisa Lane resident Jennine Goldenberg moved her family into her mother’s home after the third day, where there was “a TV, a stove, and a refrigerator.” 

“My Weimaraner was banned from my mom’s house, but we visit her several times during the day and ask the neighbors to let her out, too. I just could not take another day with a 2- and a 3-year-old in a house without electricity.”

“I’m grateful my son has power and lives nearby," said senior Helen Rogalsky. It’s during times like this when you realize the value of friends and family."  

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