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FAIRFIELD, Conn. The Nelson family had possibly the closest of calls Sunday. They evacuated their Penfield Road home before Tropical Storm Irene arrived Saturday night. But when they returned after the storm cleared, they found a collapsed tree in their front yard, its branches leaning against their house.
"There doesn't look like any serious damage so far," Taylor Nelson said as her husband Michael and her dad Bruce Antonio cleared the brush. "They'll just clear as much as they can now. We'll see."
Other homeowners in the Fairfield Beach area were not so lucky. At least two houses in the 2000 block of the street were severely damaged. The town building department will have a full assessment of the area by Monday morning and will determine whether it is safe for residents to return. Until then, Fairfield Beach Road is closed to all traffic.
Ankle-deep floods remained on roads heading south to the shore. Police have closed streets running between Quincy Road and Fairfield Beach Road to non-resident traffic. They also warn those who venture down there to watch for live wires or trees and branches that may pose risks to pedestrians.
The Bellora family was among those who decided to risk it. Their Penfield Road home sat right in front of a 3-inch deep pool of water in the street deep enough to submerge the legs of their dog Manny. But they walked through the streets after they realized their home was not damaged.
"It's new construction, so it sits higher than the rest of the street," Mike Bellora said. "We didn't get any water in our basement, so I guess FEMA regulations work."
Police say no serious injuries were reported in the storm. But as of 5 p.m. Sunday, 70 residents were still at the emergency shelter at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.
Many Fairfield residents were dealing with a lack of electricity Sunday night. As of 11 p.m. Sunday, 13,947 United Illuminating customers in the town did not have power. That accounts for 64 percent of the town's customers.
Fairfield will have at least one more day to recover. All town buildings and libraries will stay closed Monday. Fairfield University sustained no damage but delayed its students' move-in date again until Tuesday. Fairfield Prep will not hold classes Monday.
How did your home fare during Irene? Share your stories in the comments below, and send photos to gcanuel@thedailyfairfield.com.
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