As we approach the end of Autumn in southern New England, one can look back and see that this has been a rather crazy three months, especially here in Connecticut.
First, as detailed in my previous blog entry, we had an earthquake. While the quake was centered in Virginia, it was clearly felt throughout much of the northeast. Less than a week later, Hurricane Irene came barreling up the east coast, passing just to the west of central Connecticut. The storm weakened to tropical storm strength just before reaching us, but the winds downed trees and power lines throughout the state. My home was without electricity for four days, and the beginning of the Fall semester at CCSU was delayed. It was an unpleasant experience to say the least, but at least it was warm enough, and the days were long enough to make sitting in a house with no power not as bad as it could have been.
Little did we know that just two months later, a freak Halloween weekend snowstorm would hit the state. With many of the trees still in full leaf, the weight of the heavy, wet snow (which accumulated nearly a foot in my neighborhood) brought even more trees down than in the August tropical storm. Much of the interior of Connecticut was in the dark once again, and with so many towns without any power, the restoration took a lot longer. This time, my home was without electricity for nearly a week. Others in the state spent up to 12 days in the dark. And, as we had just turned the clocks back that weekend, the nights came earlier, and the temperatures were considerably colder. There was more tree debris to clear, and even now, there are lots of piles of cut branches that have yet to be picked up and disposed of.
Finally, as I write this, it is 64 degrees outside. Incredibly warm for late November. And by midweek, temperatures will drop back into the 40s. As I said, it's a bit crazy out there.
