Friday marked one month since a line of powerful storms tore through Hamden, causing damage that has closed Sleeping Giant State Park indefinitely.
Crews with Supreme Industries began the labor-intense process of cutting down the hundreds of downed trees on Wednesday.
“We don’t own any of this machinery as a municipality,” explained Hamden Mayor Curt Leng. “It’s specialized lumber material, heavy, powerful equipment and it was able to clean much more than I would have imagined.”
The microburst came through the park on May 15. Dwayne Ellis said he was there a couple days before.
PHOTOS: Look Back at Damage at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden
”They’re getting stuff done, but I just feel sad because all those trees are gone. It’s something that’s very heartbreaking to see,” Ellis said.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said it will have a more definitive timeline on when the park will re-open in a couple of weeks.
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”The last thing that you want to have happen is for the park to open, having done a lot of work, and have someone to get injured or potentially get injured from something that wasn’t assessed properly,” said Leng.
Cleanup also began in Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford on Wednesday. State officials said they are absorbing the substantial costs with the hope that FEMA will reimburse the state.
