Aftermath

At the end of the day, it was just a tropical storm. But still, Irene has caused countless dollars in property damage, and it could be up to a week before all of Waterford restores power.

As of 6 this morning, 6,500 people in town are without power, or 68 percent of the  town, according to Connecticut Light & Power. Throughout the state, 591,000 homes are without power, or 47 percent of homes in Connecticut, according to CL&P.

For the area, Waterford and New London are not as bad off as other area communities. In East Lyme, Groton, Stonington, Ledyard, Montville, Salem, Lyme, North Stonington and elsewhere, more than 80 percent of homes were without power.

CL&P has sent crews out, most of whom will work during the day, according to a company release. Overall, it could take a week, even longer, for power to be restored.

Meanwhile, recreation and park crews, public works crews, and volunteer firefighters are trying to clear the roads of downed trees. At one point Sunday, many of the town’s main roads, including Boston Post Road, Rope Ferry Road and Niantic River Road, were closed in areas because of either downed trees, downed wires or water on the road.

The Goshen district was the worst-hit section of town, First Selectman Dan Steward said. The top of one telephone pole blew off in front of Goshen Fire House, and wires were down across Goshen Road for about 100 feet.

Several houses were hit by trees, including Steward’s. The first selectman was at the emergency management building, but his wife was home, he said.

“I had a big tree come down on my house,” Steward said. “It was more scary than anything; it didn’t cause too much damage.”

Lauren Knowles, who lives on Millstone Point, had a tree fall down in her front yard. It didn’t hit her house, although it did ruin her yard, she said.

“We had that tree for a while, but it is no longer,” she said. “It lifted right up, just as they predicted.”

Flooding?

Nobody has reported flooding in their home in the Goshen District, Goshen Fire Chief Neil Wiseman said. It is probably because the rain was not heavy enough, Wiseman said. 

Several roads were flooded, though, especially Jordan Cove Road, Wiseman said. The road was damaged in the storm, he said.

So How Bad Was It?

At worst, sustained wind speeds were around 37 mph Sunday, according to Weather Underground. Overall, about a half-inch of rain fell Sunday, according to the site.

Today should be sunny, with a high of 78, according to the National Weather Service. There is no rain in the rest of the week's forecast, according to the service.

Hard Hit Spots

There was some places that were more affected than others. The top of the sign of Ocean State Job Lot, for example, blew off.

Also, the state boat launch at Jordan Cove was shut down after it was filled with water. And Mago Point Marina’s parking lot filled with water at the height of the storm, according to owner Captain John Wadsworth.

Schools

The first day of school has been pushed back one day, from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to Superintendent Jerome Belair.

The cancellation happened because the staff convocation was canceled for Monday. So, the convocation was pushed back to Tuesday, moving the first day of school to Wednesday.

Insurance

Gov. Dannel Malloy is encouraging people to clearly document their insurance claims. People should take pictures of the damage before they start cleaning it up, Malloy said.

Closings/Openings

Most town restaurants opened Sunday night and should be open today. The Crystal Mall is open today.

State parks, beaches and campgrounds are closed today. Waterford Beach and other recreation areas are closed today, and maybe longer, as the storm is cleaned up, Recreation and Parks Director Brian Flaherty said.

Injuries

Nobody from Waterford was injured in the storm, according to Waterford Police Dispatch.