Superstorm Sandy goes easy on NNY

By REENA SINGH & CHRISTOPHER ROBBINS
TIMES STAFF WRITERS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012

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New York City and the surrounding areas were battered by Superstorm Sandy’s wrath, but Northern New York escaped relatively unscathed.

Tuesday’s partly sunny skies showed that the damage due to high winds Monday night was minimal.

Throughout the north country, including Franklin and Essex counties, 1,800 power outages were reported during the peak hours of the storm, said National Grid spokeswoman Virginia J. Limmiatis. Approximately 9,000 outages were reported in Central New York.

Meteorologist David Zaff at the National Weather Service in Buffalo said the worst of the storm is over.

“At this time, it’s not worth following anymore,” he said Tuesday. “It’s going to be like any other fall or winter day.”

He said he expects the storm to swing northward this morning but miss Northern New York.

Jefferson County

During the storm’s worst on Monday, Watertown International Airport at Dexter reported a maximum wind speed of 58 mph at 9:39 p.m., Mr. Zaff said.

Ms. Limmiatis said 700 county residents experienced power outages during the storm’s peak hours.

A flight at the airport was canceled Tuesday morning, but as of 4 p.m., everything was back on schedule.

“It’s business as usual,” said James L. Lawrence Jr., airport manager. “I haven’t been informed otherwise, and we’re informed pretty well.”

Emergency dispatchers received storm-related calls from 47 locations from 3 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday, including a tree that collapsed on a house and car at 159 Winslow St., and a primary power line that was down on Interstate 81, both of which occurred around 10:30 p.m.

“We did very well,” said Joseph D. Plummer, director of county fire and emergency management.

St. Lawrence County

Wind gusts at Massena International Airport topped 48 mph at 9:27 p.m., according to meteorologist Kimberly McMahon with the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vt.

Ms. Limmiatis reported that 700 county residents called National Grid regarding power outages.

SUNY Potsdam reported a brief outage Monday evening.

“We had a total of 11 storm-related calls and a few customers without power, but National Grid was on it and by our 8 p.m. briefing, all power was restored,” said Joseph M. Gilbert, St. Lawrence County director of emergency services. “It was all pretty minor; nothing really happened.”

Wade A. Davis, executive director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, said the wind and surf caused no damage to the bridge or to the Port of Ogdensburg. The bridge stayed open during the storm despite closing in the past.

Cape Air announced that all Tuesday flights were canceled in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions, but expected to return to normal operations today.

The winds destroyed the roof over the grandstand at the Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds, breaking the nail bond, said John J. “Scooter” Wetmore, a fair director.

Fair officials met with a roofer Tuesday afternoon to discuss options. The roof is insured, but has a high deductible. It was unclear what role the Federal Emergency Management Agency might play in replacing the roof.

Lewis County

No top wind speeds within the county were recorded by the National Weather Service.

Ms. Limmiatis said 300 county residents reported power outages Monday night.

The Lowville Fire Department was called Monday afternoon to a tree across Number Four Road in the town of Watson, while West Leyden firefighters responded to a couple of tree-down calls in southern Lewis County and assisted at several other calls in northern Oneida County, said Lewis County Director of Emergency Services James M. Martin. However, there were no major incidents, and only a handful of residents were temporarily without power.

“We panned out really well,” Mr. Martin said.

Times staff writers David C. Shampine, Steve Virkler and Martha Ellen contributed to this report.