By Steve Kretzmann
Soooo…last year the storm was on April 2, exactly on election day. That storm dumped about 8 inches of wet, heavy snow that broke trees, downed power lines, and canceled school for three days.
This year the storm hit the Island a few days before election day, beginning on Saturday, March 29, and again broke trees, downed power lines, and canceled school–but this time, because the storm started on a weekend, students only missed two days of school on Monday and Tuesday. And this storm was a bit different. No big snowfall–maybe an inch or three, but lots of freezing precipitation that built up on everything–especially tree branches and power lines. And constant strong winds and howling gusts. Power outages rolled across the Island, coming to our house on Deer Lane Road at 5:25 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and encompassing almost the entire Island by Saturday evening.
In what is becoming an increasingly familiar routine, the Community Center gym, powered by generator, was opened as a warming space and source of food and water. The Red Cross arrived from off Island with cots and supplies. Unlike last year, a few people did spend the night in the gym, though most found ways to stay warm or at least tolerate the chill at home.
During the daytime hours on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, however, the Community Center saw over a thousand visitors warming up, partaking of amazing volunteer-made meals, and chatting with friends, neighbors, and Islanders they hadn’t met before. The community spirit was everywhere.
The power on Deer Lane Road was restored at about 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, but some Islanders remained without power until Thursday. Because of the continuing high winds, which brought down more weakened branches, many houses lost power more than once.
The Washington Island Electric Coop worked miracles, as usual. They did receive help from off-Island companies, but the crews worked every night till the wee hours to restore the system. See the thank-you letter from the Town Board for a longer list of all the people who stepped up for this amazing community.
