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Ridgefield Declares State Of Emergency Due To Damage From Storm

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. -- First Selectman Rudy Marconi declared a state of emergency in Ridgefield because of the large amount of damage in town a powerful thunderstorm exploded through town Tuesday afternoon.

Fallen trees and wires are creating hazards across Ridgefield on Tuesday afternoon following a storm.

Fallen trees and wires are creating hazards across Ridgefield on Tuesday afternoon following a storm.

Photo Credit: Allison Stockel ?via Twitter @StockelAllison

Many trees were knocked over and fallen wires caused thousands of power outages across town, Ridgefield announced via Twitter @ctridgefield. 

In Ridgefield, at the height of the outage 5,425 customers were without power, or about half the town, according to Eversource. By 10 p.m., the number still stood at 3,360, or a third of the town. 

"Eversource (formerly CL&P) crews are in Town and more have been called in," Ridgefield said via Twitter. 

"Many roads are blocked by downed trees and wires. Please be safe and stay away from all wires -- consider all wires electrified."

Residents without power are reminded to  call Eversource at 800-286-2000.

Parks & Recreation at 195 Danbury Road is open regular hours for showers and for charging of electronic devices. It is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will welcome those without power or water on Wednesday morning. 

A number of cars were crushed by falling trees, including at least one on Main Street. 

After the storm, a number of the town's busiest roads were partially or completely closed, including Route 35, Route 116, Route 7, Farmingville Road and Branchville Road, as well as many side roads, according to the Ridgefield Press.

Many roads were not clear late Wednesday night, and traffic lights were not operating at some intersections, the Press said. 

Other roads with closures after the storm included Farrar Lane, Gilbert Street, Farmingville Road, Main Street near Cannonfield, Old Quarry Road, Route 7 near Stonehenge Road, Route 35 near High Ridge, Barrack Hill Road near No. 66, Ramapoo Road, Overlook Drive, Ligi’s Way, and Grove Street. 

Half of the town of Redding was also without power as of late Wednesday night. A fallen tree in Redding briefly blocked Metro-North train service on the Danbury Branch. 

Ridgefield's other neighbors -- Weston, Wilton and Danbury -- reported small power outages but not the damage seen in Ridgefield and Redding. 

Read the full story at the Ridgefield Press here

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