L
Henri Aftermath: Thousands still without power, mostly in Chariho towns
By Dale P. Faulkner and Jason Vallee Sun staff writers
Aug 23, 2021 Updated 11 hrs ago
0
1 of 46
Buy Now
A crew with Davey Tree Services works on clearing a huge downed tree that brought down power lines along Route 3 in Westerly on Monday, August 23, 2021, a day after Tropical Storm Henri battered the region Harold Hanka,
This time, it mattered where you were.
Depending on where you live, Tropical Storm Henri, which hit the region head-on Sunday, was a different beast. In Hopkinton, Richmond and Charlestown, east of the eye of the storm, the storm tangled wires and downed tree limbs, knocking out power to the vast majority of those towns’ residents. Westerly, which was “ground zero,” it wasn’t as bad. And in Stonington and North Stonington, very few problems were reported.
'A lot of work to be done'
In Hopkinton, residents and first responders were left almost entirely in the dark by the time the storm moved out of the region on Sunday afternoon. Heavy winds caused considerable damage to countless trees, Hopkinton Police Capt. Mark Carrier said, and numerous roads were either partially or entirely blocked by debris.
Carrier said that as of mid-morning on Monday, emergency officials were still working with town highway staff and Rhode Island Department of Transportation crews to identify and address priority needs within the community. He said there "was a lot of work to be done," and said officials were racing the clock to get things repaired before warmer weather moves in later this week.
"We are still not out of the clear," Carrier said in a phone interview Monday morning. "There are a few roads that are impassable, some trees and wires still down in places, and we are aware of sections where people may potentially be blocked in. We are trying to address all of it as quickly as we can."