Wind storm topples dozens of trees in Riverhead, narrowly missing home
Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said approximately 50 trees were knocked down across the town during the storm.
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A Riverhead resident narrowly avoided disaster after a large tree crashed onto his front lawn during this weekend’s powerful wind storm, stopping just short of his house.
Dave Huizing said the strong winds that swept through the area Saturday night brought down multiple trees and limbs on his property, including one that damaged his vehicle.
“We had hood damage, roof damage, the fender is all bent out of shape,” Huizing said.
Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said approximately 50 trees were knocked down across the town during the storm.
Photos posted by Calverton National Cemetery on Facebook showed extensive storm damage, including a large tree uprooted on the property.
“The devastation just appeared. Trees, trees and wires, limbs, total chaos throughout the Town of Riverhead,” Zaleski said.
Town highway crews have been working around the clock to clear roads and remove debris, according to Zaleski. Cleanup efforts were further complicated by heavy rain that moved through the region Monday.
“A lot of rain on top of this and I had pump trucks out combatting that while we were still picking up and removing trees,” Zaleski said. “It ’s just been all hands on deck.”
Downed trees and broken limbs remained visible Tuesday in parts of Riverhead and Calverton as crews continued cleanup operations.
Despite the widespread damage, no injuries have been reported.
Huizing said he is still waiting for crews to remove the remaining debris from his property.
Zaleski said the cleanup effort is expected to continue through the rest of this week and into next week.
