Gusty wind picking up tonight across the state and it could leave some residents in the dark with scattered power outages.
“We’ve got all of our crews on standby throughout the night,” says Eversource Spokesperson Frank Poirot. “And they’ll be backed up by contractor crews as well.”
With the potential for power outages, Eversource has crews ready to go. And the time of year will work in our favor to alleviate the threat of tree damage.
“There are no leaves on the trees,” says Poirot. “So the wind load or the stress that the wind gusts would put on them isn’t as bad this time of the year that it is during the summer.”
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However the wet ground and trees with damage from ice and snow over the winter are concerns.
“The anchorage right now, with everything being so saturated, the trees that are leaning towards homes that are anchored in the wetlands on the edge of the yard are almost always uprooting,” explains Eric Pearson Jr., CEO of Eric’s Landscaping and Tree Service LLC in New Britain.
You should also be aware of any limbs that have snapped or that may be hanging low.
“Playscapes, cars, garages, over the roof…” says Pearson Jr. “Sometimes the trees don’t always have to go come down.” If you proactively remove damaged limbs.
And now is the time to take of your trees before the return of leaves.
“Leaves act like a wind sail,” explains Pearson Jr. “Any trees that are structurally flawed, once the parts of them do leaf out if there’s any issues at all with that tree it’s just even a greater hazard.”
So what should you do if a tree in your yard looks damaged?
Pearson Jr. says, “A safety evaluation by a Connecticut licensed arborist or a company that has a Connecticut licensed arborist on staff that can come in and do a safety evaluation on a tree that might be a liability versus an asset.”
While we aren’t expecting widespread power outages, just in case, take the time now to charge your devices and remember you can always stream NBC Connecticut live on our app if you do lose power.
