Storm-Stricken Areas Begin To Assess Damage

For about a quarter mile stretch, the Northern shore of Northwood lake looks every inch a disaster area. Downed trees -- some ripped from the ground at root level, others shorn off head-high -- are everywhere, as is the debris that used to be people houses.

“It’s just an act of god, I guess that’s it.”

62-year-old Charlie Towle, shielded his eyes from the sun as he surveyed what used to be his family’s lake house. All that’s left now is the foundation.

“You know this was a camp we had for 38 years, my parents built it. I guess now we’ll have something difference for the next thirty eight years hopefully. But I’m gonna miss the trees. It was nice and shady here before. “

Look south across the lake from Towle’s property an you see a narrow swath of felled trees that looks like a half-finished power line cut stretching into the distance. Where that cut meets the far shore is Sleepy Hollow lane, that’s where 57 year-old Brenda Stevens, was crushed to death in her two-story log cabin..

“I grew up with the Stevens family. And I knew Howie all his life.”

Mark Tibbetts is Deerfield’s fire chief.

“He saw rains coming in heavy and the clouds getting really dark. He went down stairs to advise his wife and grandchild. And no more did he get down the stairs and it started throwing him from side to side, and it happened within a matter of seconds, it collapsed. He was able to dig himself out, and that’s when Epsom came, and heard a baby crying underneath the debris, started cutting baby out, to rescue him and take him to the hospital.”

The baby was found, uninjured in a pocket amid the rubble.

Back on the Epsom side of the lake the Governor and other state officials made the rounds. Here, Lynch and Second District Congressman Paul Hodes commiserated with Rita Lambert, whose house was impaled by a downed tree limb.

“So how many family members do you have here?”

“I have seven in all and five here.”

“That’s a good crew.”

“I was sympathizing with those in the Midwest, out in tornado alley. Now,
I know what they go through.”

“Well, let us know how we can help.”

The Governor said he’s committed to using all the resources at his disposal to ease people’s recovery.

“They need to know there’s a lot of support for them. Not only at the local level. But at the state level, that FEMA is here assessing the damage and that we’ll help any way we possibly can. I think they need that sense of comfort, they need that sense of security, because they have a lot of work to do to get their lives back to normal.”

But for some of the most hard hit, getting back to normal may not be to hard. Charlie Towle, of the totaled camp, was already eager to talk of things other than the storm, at least when the state’s Congresspeople came by.

“Howdyado.”

“Congressman Hodes.”

“I just got through talking to your counterpart, and I’m going to tell you the same thing: start drilling, don’t say drill where there isn’t any oil.”

“I get it.”

“Then get it and vote it.”

“Dad, let’s go clean.”

Clean up work, and efforts to restore power to those who lack it will continue into the night. As of 5pm, more than 1000 homes remained without electricity. So far, there’s no timetable for the FEMA damage assessment that must precede any formal request by Governor Lynch to seek federal aid for storm affected areas.