Southern towns breathe easier

Southern Vermont breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday. The Frankenstorm is gone.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20121031/NEWS02/710319937/0/BUSINESS

Rutland Herald - Article published Oct 31, 2012 Southern towns breathe easier By Christian Avard AND PATRICK MCARDLE Staff WriterS Southern Vermont breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday. The Frankenstorm is gone. Although Hurricane Sandy had severe winds and caused power outages, one thing is certain: The region dodged a bullet this time. “It was good to be prepared and not feel the brunt of the storm,” Chester Town Manager Dave Pisha said. “There were a lot of things we put in place. I think a lot of it was driven by Irene.” Ludlow Town Manager Frank Heald said Ludlow Village fared well but power went out in higher elevation areas on Monday mid-afternoon. Electricity was restored Tuesday morning but communications were hampered. “The 226 and 228 exchange worked internally but calls outside the area were tough. We were isolated until mid-morning (Tuesday),” Heald said. Woodstock Town Manager Phil Swanson said there were minor outages in the Route 4 corridor near Woodstock High School. Green Mountain Power quickly responded. Officials in Springfield, Plymouth, and Cavendish said rain and high winds did not cause any major damages. TDS Telecom, a local telephone provider, was down during the storm but is back on, according to Weathersfield Town Manager Jim Mullen. Officials in Bennington, Manchester and Arlington in Bennington County reported no major problems due to Hurricane Sandy. A posting on the Bennington Police Department’s Facebook page thanked emergency responders and town employees who helped plan for Sandy. “Bennington was prepared for the worst conditions and except for a few fallen trees we were largely unscathed. ... Our goal was to make sure our residents ... were just as prepared as we were. It was clearly evident that Bennington took Hurricane Sandy seriously,” police said. Winhall, also in Bennington County, was among the hardest hit by the storm. Town Administrator Dennis McCarthy said the winds had blown off part of the roof of the town’s highway garage. “Other damage has mostly been trees down, knocking power out but most of the town, power stayed on for us,” he said. The American Red Cross activated a shelter at the Mountain School in Winhall due to power outages. According to the Green Mountain Power website, there were still about 116 customers without power as of about 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Even those in areas that had been hit hard by Irene in 2011 seemed to handle Sandy’s winds and rains well. Chris Rosso, owner of the Woodford Mtn General Store on Route 9, said customers had been calm on Monday. “The people who live up here are used to bad weather because of the winters. I’ve met more people in town, in Bennington, who seem to be more panicked,” he said.