High Winds Spread Property Damage Throughout New England

Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, MA)

Blistering winds swept southern New England on Monday, causing power outages and toppling a large tree onto a home on Route 97.

Police were called to 310 Broadway about 1:30 p.m. after a neighbor reported the incident. An officer on the scene said no one was home at the time.

A large tree also fell on a house at 294 Salem St., Andover. No injuries were reported but the tree damaged the roof and a ceiling, police said.

Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph were expected to continue across the region through Monday night, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. For comparison, a Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for the area until 7 p.m. Monday. According to the weather service, Lawrence saw a top wind gust of 56 mph shortly after noon, while Haverhill saw a top wind speed of 55 mph about 11 a.m.

As of 4 p.m., 428 National Grid customers were without power in North Andover and another 254 were experiencing outages in Andover. Downed branches and fallen trees and wires were reported across the state by Monday afternoon, including the one in Haverhill.

Little damage was visible from outside the home at the corner of Broadway and Lambert Avenue. The tree's trunk splintered about 3 feet off the ground and came to rest leaning against the side of the green single-family home. Inside the trunk, hundreds of hibernating ants were visible.

The homeowner, Ida Strykowski, said police told her the tree may have splintered because the ants had hollowed and weakened the trunk.

Strykowski, 63, and her boyfriend Mike Lawler, who also lives in the home, were at Market Basket when the tree fell. Strykowski said she arrived home to see a police officer on her street, then noticed the tree.

"Right now I'm just panicked," Strykowski said, becoming visibly emotional. "I totally don't know what to do."

A widow, Strykowski said she's lived in the 63-year-old home for more than two decades. She said she lost her home insurance coverage five or six months ago because her roof needs replacement; but as a part-time employee on disability, Strykowski said she hasn't had the money to replace the roof.

Although the damage appeared minimal from the outside, Strykowski said she saw what may be a hole in her attic. The ceilings inside the home were not damaged, she said.

Jeannette Boudreault, a neighbor who lives across Broadway from Strykowski, said she heard the tree fall, describing the sound as a "big crack." Initially, she said, she thought it was the sound of a truck going over a large patch in the road that often causes loud noises.

Boudreault's home is in the shadow of several evergreen trees nearly twice the height of the one that fell on Strykowski's home, but they aren't on her property. She said she's spoken with her neighbor about trimming the trees, but the neighbor hasn't done so. It's a concern that crosses her mind from time to time, she said.

"(I will) look up and say 'Oh, is the car in the right place?'" she said. "This wind is disgusting."

In the front yard of Strykowski's home is another large evergreen. She said Monday that she is now worried that it would fall, too.

"They always say pine trees are good, they bend," Strykowski said. "So we never thought about it."

A deepening low pressure area over the Canadian Maritimes brought about Monday's high-speed winds, according to Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The weather station on Mount Washington, which has among the highest recorded wind speeds in the world, reported a wind speed of 152 mph at 6:55 p.m. with a gust of 168 mph.The winds battering the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire were expected to "slowly diminish" after 7 p.m., Dunham said.

North Andover had a few tree limbs down and power outages on Great Pond Road and Bradford Street, according to Lt. E.J. Foulds, spokesman for the North Andover Police Department.

Pelham, New Hampshire, police reported a tree fell across Mammoth Road at 2:21 p.m. The tree blocked the road but was soon removed.

Reservation Road in Andover was partially obstructed by a tree that fell at 4:40 p.m. A tree that toppled across East Road in Hampstead, New Hampshire, "tied up traffic for about 20 minutes," according to Hampstead police Lt. John Frazier. Another tree fell on West Road in that town.

National Grid crews reduced the number of outages in Andover to 267 by 6:30 p.m., according to Kathie Cornelius, spokeswoman for the utility. Haverhill had fewer than 20 outages, North Andover had fewer than 10 and Lawrence had fewer than five customers without power by that time, Cornelius said.

Methuen had an estimated 10 customers without electricity by 6:30 p.m., she said.

"While we have restored power in some areas, new outages continue to occur as the wind persists," said Alec O'Meara, media relations manager for Unitil, which serves customers in Southern New Hampshire. "This back-and-forth will continue throughout the day and into the evening, as hazard conditions are likely for several more hours. Unitil was prepared for the possibility of a long duration event and crews will continue to work until all customers are restored."

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