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High winds knock down trees, power lines, causing road closures and outages

By Ambrose Clancy

A large tree was knocked down on Route 114 by wind gusts up to 60 mph, bringing power lines and a transformer with it, causing a dangerous situation. (Credit: Eleanor P. Labrozzi)

“It happened real quick, blowing through fast and furious, “ said Highway Department Superintendent Ken Lewis about a weather event that rampaged through Shelter Island from mid-morning into early afternoon. 

Winds of 20 to 30 mph, gusting as high as 60 mph, were reported, bringing down trees all over the Island, some crashing onto power lines and taking them down with them as they fell, causing widespread outages.

A particularly severe situation was caused by a large tree brought down by the wind on Route 114 just up from the IGA near The Islander, knocking out power in the area. In addition to the power lines, a transformer came crashing down and lay burning and smoking.

The Shelter Island Fire Department was on the scene to secure the area and monitor the fire, which eventually burned out, causing no damage or injuries, Mr. Lewis said.

The IGA switched to a generator for power.

The Shelter Island Fire, Highway and Police departments coordinated with PSEG in making Route 114 safe. (Credit: Adam Bundy)

By midafternoon Highway Department  and PSEG crews were clearing roads  and most of the Island roadways were passible.  Mr. Lewis said that at the height of the storm, six areas had roads completely blocked with downed trees and five areas were passable only by one  lane.

Safety tips from PSEG:

  • Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Stay as far away as possible from them, and if possible keep others, children, and pets away from the wire. Do not drive over or stand near any downed wire. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800-490-0075 or call 911.
  • Electric current passes easily through water. If you encounter a pool of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path. 
  • Never use a generator or any gasoline-powered engine inside your home, basement, or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent. Use an extension cord that is more than 20 feet long to keep the generator at a safe distance.
  • Visit psegliny.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety for additional information on safety during storms.

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