The powerful storm that struck New Canaan Tuesday evening was in fact a tornado, officials confirmed.
Representatives from the National Weather Service after surveying the town said that New Canaan experienced an “EF1 tornado” with winds reaching 100 mph, according to Mike Handler, the town’s director of Emergency Management.
“Clearly the damage we sustained yesterday was different from prior storms,” Handler said in an email update. “Unlike past hurricanes or Nor’easters, this storm was predominantly isolated to a band along the New Canaan/Norwalk border. Damage to both trees and our electrical infrastructure was severe.”
The Office of Emergency Management opened as the tornado took down trees, limbs and power lines, knocking out power to more than 1,400 local homes, some 75 of which still had not been restored as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
With this storm, we have all just been introduced to severe weather patterns with far less predictive warning than previous storms,” Handler said. “The Town will continue to update its emergency operations plans to ensure that we utilize the very latest and best practices.”
Handler is urging residents to notify police as they discover branches on power lines or downed electrical lines, at the general number of 203-594-3000. Homeowners and landscapers should bring storm debris to the Transfer Station, not push toward the road.
“We are grateful that there have been no serious storm related injuries, please help us to keep it that way,” Handler said.