While a tornado touched down in the heavily wooded area of Pine Rock Friday, the slushy machine at the nearby Cumberland Farms was smoking too.
For a minute there, firefighters thought they would have to respond to a structure fire AND a tornado.
It’s one of the details of Friday night’s storm that Shelton emergency responders can joke about now, several days after the storm.
“It was a little chaotic, but the response was pulled together nicely,” said Assistant Fire Chief Nick Verdicchio Monday. “They were swamped. We had to put everything on a priority list. At the same time there was a report of smoke in the Cumberland Farms…. The wind pulled the wires off the building and shorted out the slushy machine.”
Monday, emergency responders and volunteers were finally catching their breath after the whirlwind weekend prompted by the tornado.
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down at 3:56 p.m. with wind speeds between 95 to 100 mph. It had a maximum path of 100 yards and a total path of one-half mile, according to the Weather Service. Surprisingly, no one was injured.
Three of Shelton’s four fire companies responded to the scene, while the fourth took calls. The Office of Emergency Management set up a command center. After the storm firefighters from Pine Rock Co. walked door to door in the neighborhood, passing out informational fliers and water bottles, and making sure residents were OK.
“It looked like a bomb went off up there,” Verdicchio said. “We haven’t dealt with anything near this capacity, but we came through, luckily, with flying colors.
Monday, most of the debris was finally cleared up – after crews from Shelton and Stratford, and homeowners spent most of the weekend clearing branches, brush and dirt from streets and yards.
The power was turned on Saturday, after local politicians and officials toured the area to view the extent of the damage. Board of Alderman president John Anglace issued a statement after the tour.
“Fortunately no one was hurt and only one house suffered damage of consequence,” Anglace wrote. “Property damage was limited primarily to trees and utility infrastructure. There were many poles and hardwood trees down and first-hand reports of patio furniture and lawn decorations being swept up into the air and then just suddenly, dropped back onto the deck.”
Mayor Mark Lauretti said the damage does not come near the minimum level needed to apply for federal assistance, Anglace said.
Now residents await answers from their individual insurance companies about damage costs.
