The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

After Hurricane Sandy

Nature Uprooted

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By Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

Around 4 a.m. on Monday, October 29, Bill Davies’s phone started ringing. The co-owner of Westchester Tree Life was ready. Thanks to accurate weather forecasts, he had already begun preparations for Hurricane Sandy and had taken precautions during the previous week to insure that his firm was well equipped to provide assistance to as many homeowners as possible. The equipment was in excellent working condition and crews had been working feverishly; steeling up weak trees and pruning.

Increased profits were far from Davies’s mind as he began assigning workers and divvying up tasks. “I hate seeing storms like this,” he noted. “Our business is preservation.” He spoke with reverence about the many trees his firm has planted and maintained for 27 years. To this avid hiker, seeing so many of them destroyed was devastating.

The destruction left in Sandy’s wake, gave Davies pause. As a veteran of his industry, he has definitely noticed a dramatic change in the severity of storms. “The four or five worst storms have occurred in the past two and a half years,” Davies said. The greatest number of sizable trees–in terms of diameter–were lost in this storm than ever before.

In Davies’s eyes, the character of the entire area has been altered by the storm, leaving a leafy suburb in need of reforestation. “It changes the whole suburban woodlot,” Davies began. “If I could suggest one thing to property owners, I’d say start to replace.” He urges everyone to place a high priority on replanting at least one or two trees a year to reconstitute landscapes.

Instead of rushing to replant here and there, Davies prefers a measured approach. As a certified arborist, he counsels people on choosing sturdy, disease resistant replacements and stresses the importance of “diversity.” When blights strike, an entire species can be wiped out. By choosing a variety of trees, the homeowner mitigates the chances of massive loss. An optimal mix also includes trees of different ages. While Davies cited oaks, maples and sycamores as being viable choices, he also stressed that different types will thrive on every site.

Wind Power

The process of deciding whether damaged trees can be saved is a delicate one. In last year’s October storm, heavy snow took a toll on many branches. This kind of destruction meant that many more trees could be saved. In contrast, vast numbers of trees were toppled by gusts of 75 to 80 miles per hour during Hurricane Sandy. “With enough wind, even healthy trees can fail,” Davies observed. Large numbers of white pines and Norway spruce fell due to their shallow roots.

Topography also played a major role during Sandy. Davies explained that many of the old oaks in Chappaqua are located on hillsides. The strength of their root systems is hindered by growing in rocks, thus rendering them too weak to resist gale force winds.

Two weeks after the storm, activity changed to clean-up mode. Due to the extraordinary amount of mulch generated from the fallen trees, it is first hauled away from individual sites and then picked up by a contractor. For those looking ahead to preparing beds in the spring or cushioning playgrounds, mulch may be left on site.

The environmental impact of the storm was monumental. The loss of so many trees means an increase in erosion. This affects not only the individual homeowner but their neighbors as well. “That’s why there’s a tree permit law,” Davies observed. This regulation requires property owners to obtain a permit before removing any trees.

Tree companies were definitely not the only ones working tirelessly in the aftermath of the storm. Workers from utility, cable, phone and heating companies flooded the area. Davies noted that everyone cooperated and helped each other whenever possible. His firm made sure that driveways were clear so that other workers could gain access to damaged properties.

On the subject of prevention, Davies mentioned the importance of having a solid maintenance program in place. One of the techniques his workers used before the storm was cabling. By securing elements of a tree together with cables, the entire structure is fortified. Another tool is the resistograph; a device that checks for decay. When significant weakness is detected, removal is recommended.

As the pace of his work slowed down a wee bit, Davies took a moment to reflect. “Go see the Bedford Oak,” he exhorted. This approximately 500-year-old treasure still reigns at the intersection of Hook Road and Old Bedford Road.

Sarah Ellen Rindsberg knows the importance of preventive maintenance first hand after losing a car to a tree.

Photo by Peter Martin

The Lessons of Hurricane Sandy

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Fallen tree blocked Hardscrabble Road near Douglas Road.
Photo by Jen Geller

By Howard Arden

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Based on that description the way our utility companies distribute our electric power is insane. Each recent major storm causes billions of dollars in damage, requiring millions of dollars and countless labor-hours to rebuild the same above-ground, obsolete 20th century electrical system. There are locations in North Castle where poles and transformers have been completely replaced three times in the last 13 months.

The first lesson of Sandy is that our climate is changing. Whether this change is caused by humans, or by a natural climate alteration, is immaterial. The facts are that sea levels are rising, temperatures are warmer and storms are more frequent and severe.

Sandy was a category one hurricane, yet it left 40,000 NYC residents homeless and 8.5 million people in 10 states without power. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of North Castle residents were without power, some for almost two weeks, including me. And let us not forget that, apart from lost power, falling telephone poles cause personal injury and property damage.

Most climate experts agree that as bad as Sandy was, we can expect worse. They predict that a Katrina-like storm will hit us at some point. If this were to occur, based on our Sandy experience, we would be without power for a month.

No amount of assistance from out-of-state electrical crews from the south or west could rebuild our entire above ground electrical system any sooner. Replacement equipment would also be impossible to obtain.

For example, during Sandy, we lost 30 telephone poles just on Nannahagen Road. These lines supply power to a significant portion of North Castle. In a bigger storm, it would be physically impossible to inventory enough equipment to recover from a major regional disaster.

Tree down on Chappaqua Mountain Road
Photo by Barbara Buxbaum

Fortunately, there is a solution. We don’t have to stockpile impossible amounts of inventory and expend billions of labor dollars to repair an antiquated power supply system. This is the second lesson of Sandy. We need a new and different distribution system for our electricity. Utilities need to start burying our wires. Other than clear-cutting all of our trees, there is no practical alternative. Yes, it will be expensive and it will not happen over night, but a strategic decision must be made to start the process. Once the utilities agree that their customers deserve better service, and thus that wires must be buried, we can get on with the process of figuring out how we will do it and the most economical way to finance it. This week, the head of LIPA, the worst performing utility during Sandy, stated that they may need to start burying some of their wires. Had just main distribution lines been under ground, Sandy’s effects would have been much less severe.

The lessons of the last 13 months are clear. Utilities can no longer defend themselves with arguments of the prohibitive cost of burying electrical lines. That cost pales in comparison to the cost of human suffering caused by their unwillingness to modernize and their lack of proper planning. We need to invest in our infrastructure! A number of neighborhoods in our town already have buried cables…so it can be accomplished. It is only the will that is missing. I intend to press this issue with the politicians, boards, and commissions responsible for making the needed changes in our electrical system. Sandy is a powerful wake-up call that we need a new direction. I hope you agree with the lessons we have learned from Sandy and will support these efforts. Our well being and quality of life depend upon it.

Howard Arden is Supervisor of the Town of North Castle.
Photo by Jen Geller

Hurricane Sandy: Day 11: November 9, 2012 – Out of Town Crews to the Rescue

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Crews from across America lend a hand to help get the lights back on for residents of Brevoort Road in Chappaqua whose homes had been without heat and electricity for 11 days. Jimmy Libby (up in bucket) and Ed Lewando of E&E Electrical Inc. came from Boston Massachusetts to help Con Edison make repairs after Hurricane Sandy. Here, they work on electrical lines. Mr. Lewando said he had never seen so many downed lines and trees in his life as he did working in our area. A crew from from MDR Construction Inc of Columbia, Mississippi was also working on the road erecting new light poles to replace those downed in the storm. – Marianne Campolongo

Photo by Marianne Campolongo

Calamity Averted

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By Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

On Wednesday, November 21, Bernard Foster was surveying his property at 550 Millwood Road, with an eye toward the future.  A representative from his insurance company was on site, assessing the damage inflicted during Hurricane Sandy.  A total of four humongous trees fell on top of the house, miraculously missing the invaluable occupant within.

At about 6:30 p.m. on the eve of the Hurricane, Foster was fortuitously preparing dinner in the kitchen, when he heard an extraordinarily loud noise.  “I had an unexpected guest,” Foster noted with a grin.  After he realized what had transpired and how lucky he had been, Foster began searching for a flashlight.  Fortunately, his bed was untouched so he lay down to rest.  “I slept soundly,” he recalled.

Foster had called the police on his cellphone as had his two sons, who asked them to check on their father.  First responders were unable to reach him due to downed power lines and blocked roads.

The next day, Foster, an intrepid 89-year-old man trudged up the hill behind his house to visit his next door neighbors, the de Stefanis family.   Francesca de Stefanis had invited  him to come over before the hurricane hit.  He answered, “Don’t worry, I’m fine,”  de Stefanis related.  When he appeared at her door on Tuesday morning, she prevailed upon him to spend the night –with warmth provided by friendship and a generator. The neighbors have been close for many years continuing the friendship first established by de Stefanis’s in-laws who had previously owned her home.

Mario de Stefanis rigged a sturdy rope to facilitate the journey through the woods.  The next day they descended to gather Foster’s precious possessions and clothing.

Standing outside the wreckage, Foster smiled.  “This has become a tourist attraction.  People stop by and can’t believe their eyes,” he said.

This veteran of the Second World War witnessed destruction far greater than this as a member of the Eighth Air Force.  Today, rebuilding is foremost in his mind.  He has resided here since 1973 and truly values the community.  “I love the library and the senior center,” Foster said.  He is eager to resume his train rides to and from the city to partake of the opera, Philharmonic and museums.

Building Resilience for Future Storms

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By Dr. Susan Rubin

“Anyone who says there is not a change in weather patterns is denying reality.” Andrew Cuomo.

Now that freak storms are becoming a Halloween tradition here in Westchester, it’s time to face up to the inconvenient truth. As our planet continues to heat up from the burning of fossil fuels and the continued destruction of trees, our weather is becoming more unstable. Trees are part of this equation because they act as the lungs of the earth: they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. But sadly, trees are also part of the problem too because they can snap and uproot in high winds and heavy rains.

Last year’s Halloween canceling storm caused many New Castle residents to be without power for a week, some for close to two weeks and longer. This year’s Frankenstorm  easily doubled last year’s record power outages. Hotels in the region were booked solid two days before the storm even blew into town. Gas powered generators sprung up everywhere as it became obvious that the electric wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

And then the gas lines started. To me, that was the most disconcerting facet of the storm’s aftermath. Like it or not, here in suburbia we are heavily dependent upon gas. We were lucky this time around, the lines didn’t last for long and there was even some free gas pumped in Mt Kisco one day.

Supply chains and grids don’t always work the way they should. We’re learning more and more about Murphy’s Law with each passing storm. What if next year’s 100-year storm includes more extensive power outages? In other words, what if the gas doesn’t flow anywhere nearby?  How would we get by with no gas? What if the ConEd trucks and all the other power trucks that came this time from far away can’t get here for some reason?

We don’t have a problem on our hands; problems have solutions. We have a predicament. Predicaments don’t have easy solutions. Instead, we must generate intelligent responses. A smart response would be to cultivate a culture of self reliance and community resilience.

Meaningful Preparation

Climate change is here and it won’t be going away anytime soon. The time is now to make meaningful preparations for the next freak, 100-year storm or whatever else global weirding tosses our way.

A good place to start is your own street. Meet your neighbors, get their phone and email addresses, make a list for everyone. Find out who has pets, who has generators or extra firewood. Share a pot luck meal with those who live nearby and talk about what you did for this recent storm and what lessons you learned  that will help you prepare better for the next disruption.

Resilience is the lesson we can learn from storms like Sandy. Resilience is about withstanding and surviving unexpected shocks to a system. How do we deal with adversity in such a way that we come through it with minimal harm. Resilience means facing life’s difficulties with courage and patience.

Susan Rubin has lived through 25 years of storms in Chappaqua and is writing a booklet on storm preparation in suburbia that includes delicious recipes.