Update 9:30 a.m. Friday
Here’s a list, updated as of early Friday, of road hazards and closures in New Canaan, as per the New Canaan Police Department. Just 62 New Canaan homes now are without power, according to Eversource.
Road Hazards & Closures in New Canaan—Update 2
| Location | Trees? | Wires? | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Trail/Ponus Ridge | Yes | Yes | Trees on Wires |
| 82 Canoe Hill Road | Yes | Yes | Branch on wires |
| 74 Clapboard Hill Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| 42 Dan's Highway | Yes | Yes | Road blocked—crew on scene |
| 60 Evergreen | No | Yes | Wire hanging low on Bob Hill |
| 60 Ferris Hill Road | No | Yes | Long-hanging wires across driveway |
| 72 Heritage Hill Road | No | Yes | Wires down in yard |
| 11 Hillcrest Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wries |
| New Norwalk Road at Shaker Drive | Yes | Yes | Trees leaning on wires |
| 320 North Wilton Road | Yes | Yes | Tree leaning on wire - passable |
| 1134 Weed St. | Yes | Yes | Barricaded |
| Woods End Road | Yes | Yes | Low wires in driveway, road open |
Update 6:39 p.m. Thursday
New Canaan’s director of emergency management, Mike Handler, said that five town roads remain completely blocked with downed trees and electrical wires—Dan’s Highway, Frogtown Road, Weed Street, Indian Waters Drive and Hemlock Hill Road—and that more than 20 are partially blocked (see table below).
Downed trees and branches snapped power lines on Marshall Ridge Road on Feb. 25, 2016. SE photo
As of 6:40 p.m. Thursday, 1,123 New Canaan homes—about 13 percent of Eversource customers in town, utility said—were without power.
“The substantial increase in reported outages is due to new damage to power lines in the Oenoke Lane and Dunning Road area,” Handler said in a bulletin that also was distributed by robocall. “Eversource is projecting substantial restoration by 11:30 p.m. [Friday].”
Handler is calling for residents continue to report new power outages to Eversource at (800) 286-2000. Non-emergency hazards can be called into the Police Department at (203) 594-3500. “Thank you for obeying all detour signs and reserving 911 for true life-threatening emergencies,” he said. “Remember, all downed wires are considered to be live.”
Update 2:15 p.m. Thursday
Here’s an updated table of road hazards and closures in New Canaan
Road Hazards & Closures in New Canaan—Update 1
| Location | Trees? | Wires? | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Trail/Ponus Ridge | Yes | Yes | Trees on Wires |
| 51 Briscoe Road | Yes | Yes | Wires blocking driveway |
| 82 Canoe Hill Road | Yes | Yes | Branch on wires |
| 493 Cheese Spring Road | Yes | Yes | Trees and wires blocking road |
| 74 Clapboard Hill Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| 42 Dan's Highway | Yes | Yes | |
| 60 Ferris Hill Road | No | Yes | Long-hanging wires across driveway |
| 428 Frogtown Road | Yes | Yes | Trees on wires |
| Frogtown at Ponus Ridge | Yes | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| 79 Frogtown Road | No | Yes | |
| Heather Drive | Yes | No | Tree across road - passable |
| 166 Hemlock Hill Road | No | Yes | Wires down in yard |
| 72 Heritage Hill Road | No | Yes | Wires down in yard |
| 11 Hillcrest Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wries |
| 33 Huckleberry Hill Road | No | Yes | Wires down across driveway |
| 52 Indian Waters Drive | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| 289 Laurel Road | Yes | Yes | Wires blocking driveway |
| New Norwalk Road at Shaker Drive | Yes | Yes | Trees leaning on wires |
| 66 Nursery Road | Yes | Yes | Driveway blocked |
| 1248 Oenoke Ridge Road | Yes | Yes | Pole fire |
| 165 Orchard Drive | Yes | Yes | Tree leaning on wires |
| 1323 Ponus Ridge | No | Yes | Wires down across road |
| 955 Ponus Ridge | No | Yes | Driveway blocked |
| 220 Rosebrook Road | Yes | No | |
| 44 St. John's Place | No | Yes | |
| Soundview Lane | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| 46 Turtleback Lane East | No | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| Waveny Park | No | Yes | Road to Lapham Center |
| Weed Street at West Road | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| Weed Street at Dunning Road | Yes | Yes | Road bocked |
| 1134 Weed St. | Yes | Yes | Barricaded |
| 494 Weed St. | Yes | Yes | Trees on wires |
| 119 West Hills Road | Yes | Yes | Trees on wires |
| Woods End Road | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
Update 10:40 a.m. Thursday
Here is a table that shows road hazards and closures in New Canaan as of 10 a.m. Thursday, from the New Canaan Police Department:
Road Hazards & Closures in New Canaan—Feb. 25, 2016
| Location | Trees? | Wire? | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Trail/Ponus Ridge | Yes | Yes | Trees on Wires |
| 51 Briscoe Road | Yes | Yes | Wires blocking driveway |
| 82 Canoe Hill Road | Yes | Yes | Branch on wires |
| 493 Cheese Spring Road | Yes | Yes | Trees and wires blocking road |
| 74 Clapboard Hill Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| 59 Colonial Road | Yes | Yes | |
| 42 Dan's Highway | Yes | Yes | |
| 428 Frogtown Road | Yes | Yes | Trees on wires |
| Frogtown at Ponus Ridge | Yes | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| 79 Frogtown Road | No | Yes | |
| Heather Drive | Yes | No | Tree across road - passable |
| 166 Hemlock Hill Road | No | Yes | Wires down in yard |
| Hickok Road | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| 11 Hillcrest Road | No | Yes | Low-hanging wries |
| 52 Indian Waters Drive | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| 289 Laurel Road | Yes | Yes | Wires blocking driveway |
| New Norwalk Road at Shaker Drive | Yes | Yes | Trees leaning on wires |
| 66 Nursery Road | Yes | Yes | Driveway blocked |
| 1248 Oenoke Ridge Road | Yes | Yes | Pole fire |
| 1323 Ponus Ridge | No | Yes | Wires down across road |
| 955 Ponus Ridge | No | Yes | Driveway blocked |
| 220 Rosebrook Road | Yes | No | |
| 44 St. John's Place | No | Yes | |
| Soundview Lane | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| 46 Turtleback Lane East | No | Yes | Low-hanging wires |
| Waveny Park | No | Yes | Road to Lapham Center |
| Weed Street at West Road | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| Weed Street at Dunning Road | Yes | Yes | Road bocked |
| 1134 Weed St. | Yes | Yes | Barricaded |
| 494 Weed St. | Yes | Yes | Trees on wires |
| Woods End Road | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
| Valley Road north of Benedict Hill | Yes | Yes | Road blocked |
Original Article
Firefighters in New Canaan had 10 storm-related incidents caused by the high winds that struck New Canaan late Wednesday and continued overnight, Fire Chief Jack Hennessey said.
A tree down on Ponus Ridge on the morning of Feb. 25, 2016, after a wind storm in town. Photo published with permission from its owner
The calls included reports of trees and wires down and burning, alarm activations caused by power failures and a flooding call, he said.
“There are still many roads that are impassable and wires on the ground,” Hennessey told NewCanaanite.com.
Roads closed completely or in part include Weed Street, Richmond Hill Road, Marshall Ridge Road, Frogtown Road, Old Stamford Road, Ponus Ridge, Dan’s Highway, Soundview Road and St. John’s Place, he said.
“Please treat all downed electrical wires as if they are charged and stay clear,” the New Canaan Office of Emergency Management said in a townwide bulletin.
Arrowhead Trail in New Canaan on the morning of Feb. 25, 2016. Carl Franco photo
The downed trees, branches and power lines created dangerous conditions that prompted district officials to close New Canaan Public Schools for the day.
As of 7 a.m., 481 homes in New Canaan—about 6 percent of Eversource customers—were without power, according to the utility.
The district said on its website: “Last night’s powerful winds have created dangerous situations in parts of town, with a significant number of road closures due to felled trees and many downed power lines.”
New Canaan’s first power outages occurred late Wednesday, after downed wires were reported on Smith Ridge Road north of the Country Club. Additional downed wires were reported around 4:30 a.m. at Laurel Road and Soundview Lane.
The National Weather Service issued a statement early Thursday warning motorists about widespread fog throughout the area.
Metro-North Railroad is reporting “good service” out of New Canaan.
NewCanaanite.com will update this article with new information as it comes in.