North Madison Still Digging Out

While much attention has been focused on the shoreline area post-Irene, North Madison was significantly affected as well first by the ferocious storm, and then by fallen trees and wires that left some people trapped in their neighborhoods.

“We were blocked in until yesterday (Monday),” said Selectman Al Goldberg standing outside his Colonial Road house.  Large trees were blocking roads and it wasn’t until town crews brought in some heavy equipment, including large front end loaders. 

“Police Chief Drumm arrived to oversee things and when he saw there was not enough manpower here in terms of the town crew,” explained Goldberg.  “He took off his jacket and he took off his hat and he grabbed a chain saw and for an hour he went to work with the town employees,” added Goldberg.

“It was frightening up here,” said Goldberg talking about Hurricane Irene’s arrival in town.  “The intensity of the wind and the rain in this heavily treed environment was frightening for folks,” said Goldberg.

While Goldberg worked away, with an old two person handsaw, at the light brush in front of his house the real damage was hidden away in his backyard.  “I have eight large trees down in the back near the lake,” he said.

Nearby, at the North Madison Volunteer Fire Station it was a busy day after Connecticut Water dropped off a tanker full of about 3,500 gallons of fresh drinking water Tuesday morning

“It’s been brisk since it showed up,” said Brian Koczak, chief at the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company.  “It’s been good. “

Sperry Road resident Diane Rogalski made her first trip, since the storm, to fill up containers with water.

“There’s just the two of us (Rogalski and her husband, Jim),” she said.  “So I think that’s why we were able to do OK with the bathtub water for as long as we have.”

Tom Rafferty, a resident of Bradley Corners Road, spent Tuesday afternoon cleaning up debris from Hurricane Irene.  “The whole lawn and driveway were basically covered…with debris, small debris that was just scattered through the yard,” he said.

He stocked up on Poland Spring water prior to the hurricane and his family was driving to a friend’s house in New Haven daily to shower.  On those trips he powers up his electronic devices and has been able to get in a couple hours of internet daily.  This has enabled him to do some of his work, which he does from his home normally.

 “The novelty wears off pretty quickly,” said Rafferty.