Last October we visited with our friends Marissa and Tim in Poughkeepsie NY, in part so we could retrieve their “old” electric stove. Our trip down turned into quite the adventure as it ended up coinciding with a freak early snowstorm that dumped 1-2 feet of wet heavy snow through out the Northeast. Power was out for days in many areas, and around a week in some areas of Connecticut. Details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Halloween_nor%27easter
While at their house we witnessed a transformer ignite just one block away as a result of a branch leaning on it. The power oscillated on and off while transformer sparked and burned for two hours. It was a remarkable sight.
Burning power line transformer
The transformer burned for only a brief time once it had fallen.
A medium sized tree fell on the truck. Only the top of it hit, so there was no damage.
Back home, our one tree received a heavy pruning from the snow storm. Silver maples stay green and hold onto their leaves well into the fall. Once piled up, the downed branches lined the entire length of our segment of Vernon St. One branch put a minor dent in the corner of the south gable roof. Surprisingly, the crown of the tree still looks full.
Marissa and Tim replaced their electric stove with a gas stove. Coincidentally, they wouldn't have been able to cook during the storm had they not made the switch days before.
Design & Construction of Spartan & Hannah's Home 