Ice Storm tracking

[treeslayer]

any work up in the frozen Northeast?

 

[fishercat]

not here.

i'm waiting for calls from Mass.

 

[Brush Hog]

Only Northwest corner got it up by treemds. Lower part of Maine got it pretty good to.

 

[treeslayer]

I heard Worcester Mass. got hammered. any help from that area would be appreciated, I need some work.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

By Russell Contreras
Associated Press Writer / December 12, 2008


BOSTON—A winter storm pounded New England with pouring rain, sleet and ice, knocking out power to roughly 350,000 customers in Massachusetts, closing schools and roads and prompting Gov. Deval Patrick to declare a statewide state of emergency Friday.

The storm, which began Thursday night, coated trees with ice, causing branches to break onto power lines and roadways throughout central and western Massachusetts. By Friday, emergency crews raced to clean up the debris, but homes, businesses and even some courts in Worcester remained dark and officials warned it could be days before power is restored.

No major injuries were reported, but police were searching for a Marlborough Department of Public Works employee who went missing after reporting to work early Friday. Kevin Connolly was last seen about 5 a.m. near the department building.

Robert Warfield, a 72-year-old Worcester resident, said tree limbs and debris made it impossible to get through his street. Loud sounds from a breaking maple tree woke him up about 4:30 a.m. Friday.

"The limbs just kept snapping and they hit my roof six times," he said. "I've never seen anything like it in the 45 years I've lived here."

National Grid reported about 290,000 electric customers without power, mostly in the Worcester and Merrimack Valley areas, while Western Massachusetts Electric Co. put their outages at roughly 21,000 customers. Some towns, including Becket, Windsor, Cummington and Middlefield, experienced near blackout conditions.

"This is a really extreme situation we are experiencing," National Grid spokeswoman Jackie Barry said.

NStar, which serves mostly eastern Massachusetts, reported scattered outages of 7,000 customers. And smaller utility companies in towns also reported outages, said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

"All of the resources at our disposal have been made available to try to get the roads clear and power restored," said Patrick, who declared the state of emergency and called up 500 members of the National Guard to help clean debris and clear access to downed power lines. "The earliest estimates that we have for power being restored is Monday, and I think many of us view that as an ambitious estimate at this point."

State officials urged residents without power to check into shelters and avoid heating their homes with makeshift devices.

The Red Cross, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, has opened 23 temporary shelters across the state. In Holden, which had no power, some senior citizens on oxygen were taken to the hospital or a shelter opened at the town's senior center.

"Don't sit around the house and wait," Judge said. "It's still very grim out there. It's not going to be a quick fix."

The National Weather Service reported the storm system has passed through the state by Friday afternoon, but western Massachusetts would continue to see freezing temperatures until Sunday.

Georgine Sparr, the manager of Flynn's Truck Stop in Shrewsbury, said her customers in central Massachusetts complained of downed trees covered in ice, flooded roads and power outages -- but felt better once they had a cup of coffee.

"They got hit with everything at one time, except the snow, thank goodness," Sparr said.

Sounds widespread

 

[treeslayer]

that's what I'm reading. I have a wealth of guys and equipment in the Wmsbg area ready to travel if I can locate a good bit of work.

 

[tree MDS]

Only Northwest corner got it up by treemds. Lower part of Maine got it pretty good to.

Not much ice in my town (Litchfield) but hammered just a few miles north. Picked up a few days at least so far. Looks like I can dodge the repo man for awhile longer, lol. I got this one estate thats pretty hammered up in Goshen, used to be one of Liberace's shacks, big brick castle pretty much. I know the caretaker. I've been fending off the landscape architect and his Bartlett guys for some time now - I get some, they get some. Looks like I win this one.
This tree thing always provides for me somehow, already got more damage over in the hick town of Warren to look at on Sunday. Good luck MDS.

 

[capetrees]

Wheres "wortownmick" and "treeslayer"? They're form Worcester. Share the wealth guys!

 

[JeffL]

Our shop is about 20 minutes east of the east edge of the berkshires in western mass. Me and a guy went to look at 2 jobs for tomorrow involving removing some Norway spruce off the roofs of homes. Literally probably a 1/2" of ice on everything up there, reported they'll be without power for likely at least 4 days, possibly a week. Looks like a bomb went off. I have a few pics on my phone I'll try to put up later.

 

[treeslayer]

Wheres "wortownmick" and "treeslayer"? They're form Worcester. Share the wealth guys!

I'm treeslayer. do you mean tree-slayer, who stole my name?

 

[JeffL]

Tree MDS, that's where I'll be tomorrow, up in Goshen. You driven up there yet? It's unreal. I think it'll get worse tonite, everything is so ice loaded and the wind was just starting to blow as we left at 3 this afternoon.

 

[capetrees]

I'm treeslayer. do you mean tree-slayer, who stole my name?

correct

 

[capetrees]

Correcting again, Wortown Mick ans treeslayer666!

 

[tree MDS]

Tree MDS, that's where I'll be tomorrow, up in Goshen. You driven up there yet? It's unreal. I think it'll get worse tonite, everything is so ice loaded and the wind was just starting to blow as we left at 3 this afternoon.

Dude, I'm sitting in the shop listening to the wind gust as I type, I heard the ice is still on them trees. :biggrinbounce2:

Yeah I've been in Goshen today, thats where one job is, right by rt 4 and the rotary at rt 63. I love this s#!t! Lots of ice for sure. Goshen is only a couple miles away. Oh that wind is a whipping now, lol. Where you gonna be at??

 

[JeffL]

Oh, apparently there is a Goshen in CT too, haha, I'll be up in MA.

 

[tree MDS]

Oh, apparently there is a Goshen in CT too, haha, I'll be up in MA.

Right, two Goshens - go figure! We have a Bethlehem too!! lol.

Good luck storm chasing man.

MDS.

 

[ropensaddle]

Here I come ropenice is ready lol I could not come
unless there was 25k involved for a month or so!

 

[tree MDS]

Here I come ropenice is ready lol I could not come
unless there was 25k involved for a month or so!

Rope, old dog, I wish we could afford you, lol.

 

[ropensaddle]

Rope, old dog, I wish we could afford you, lol.

Yeah that is what everyone says I guess I am going to have to
be mo cheapo but really I mean all I want is to make a living sheesh:monkey:
I actually applied today for and hourly job that I really can't afford to do
but wth at least I will be busy enough to keep my mind off things!

 

[ozarktreeman]

Here I come ropenice is ready lol I could not come
unless there was 25k involved for a month or so!

yea, rope kinda sittin here foamin at the checkbook.
Ah.maybe somthing closer for us next week.