Though the worst of Hurricane Sandy’s winds and rains may have passed, there are still thousands without power and many across the Northeast who remain in significant danger.
In Connecticut, Governor Dannel P. Malloy warned those trapped not to attempt to swim to safety, and officials asked those in need of help to hang white sheets or towels from their windows. Two people were killed by falling trees on opposite sides of the state. Close to half a million Connecticut Light and Power customers remain without power and timetables are beginning to be laid out for restoration, says CL&P spokesman Alan Lehrer.
In New York, hundreds of thousands are without power with nearly a million in New York City, Long Island, and the northern suburbs. Governor Andrew Cuomo says outages are expected to be widespread and long-lasting.
In Massachusetts, National Grid reported about 214,000 customers without power, NStar has 156,000 and WEMCO in Western Mass is counting just over 12,000 in the dark. State officials are urging patience, noting that current road conditions make it impossible for many line crews to work.
Vermont, still reeling from last year’s Tropical Storm Irene, is still assessing the damage but says state employees plan to report to work today later in the day and some schools and colleges remain closed.
The immediate WAMC listening area did not see the major brunt of the storm though in Pittsfield yesterday a toddler escaped harm when she was pulled from her crib by her mother moments before a 15-foot section of an ash tree crashed into her bedroom. The mother tells the Berkshire Eagle it sounded like a "small explosion."