Tired Irene slaps N.E.

700,000 lose power in Mass.; Vt. hit hard with 1 feared dead

August 29, 2011|By David Abel, Globe Staff

In downtown Boston, a massive tree fell along Beacon Street, blocking the… (ROBERT S. DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF )

Fierce winds, pelting rains, and a storm surge barreled into Massachusetts yesterday as Hurricane Irene weakened into a tropical storm, not as ferocious as once feared but still powerful enough to uproot trees, snap power lines, and threaten dams.

Almost 700,000 electric customers were in the dark last night, and roads big and small turned into ponds, forcing traffic to be diverted.

There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries in Massachusetts. In the Vermont town of Wilmington, officials were looking last night for a woman reportedly swept away in the Deerfield River.

By the time Irene reached New England, it had carved a vast path of destruction, claiming at least 21 lives along the Eastern Seaboard, flooding swaths of Philadelphia, and leaving more than 4.5 million homes and businesses without power.

“We’re fortunate that Irene had weakened some before it got to Massachusetts,’’ said Governor Deval Patrick in a telephone interview.

As rain persisted into the evening and rivers rose in the western part of the state, he and other state officials said the National Guard helped hundreds of people in Ashfield, Charlemont, Greenfield, and North Adams evacuate their homes and warned residents in the area to be ready for additional evacuation orders.

“It’s really important that people pay attention and be prepared to move quickly,’’ he said, noting that the Deerfield, Green, Connecticut, and Housatonic rivers could swell over the next 24 hours.

And the storm wasn’t finished once it departed the state. It walloped Vermont and drew the National Guard to respond to five towns because of “extremely dangerous rising water,’’ emergency officials reported.

At 10 last night, the downtown was empty and two of the main roads bisecting historic Brattleboro were closed, with traffic detoured through side streets. The western part of the town had been cut off since the morning, and several firefighters sent to rescue stranded residents were briefly trapped by the flood waters.

“We had flooding in areas we have not had flooding in before,’’ said Barbara Sondag, Brattleboro’s town manager.

At nightfall, the state capital, Montpelier, appeared to be bearing the brunt of Irene.

“This storm has or is going to hit the entire state,’’ said Mark Bosma, spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management. “That’s rare. It’s usually localized, [but this is] a pretty intense situation.’’

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