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Wind, rain, thunder and lightning ripped through central Dutchess County on Monday, June 23, causing road closures and uprooting trees, including one that fell on a Town of Beekman home. The storm, one of several that struck Dutchess County this past week, caused sporadic power outages and chaos in some residential neighborhoods, including the Town and City of Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park and outlying areas.
The Beekman couple, Al and Sally O’Hara of Beekman Road, suffered an estimated $10,000 worth of damage due to the tree falling on their one-story home they’ve owned for nearly 26 years.
They said the tree came down on Monday, “at approximately 12:30 or 1 p.m.” Sally O’Hara said she heard a loud noise and immediately called her husband, who was working in Kingston. She and the couple’s two animals headed to the basement, fearing for the worst, as gusting winds forced an 80-foot tree, weighing an estimated 80 tons, to fall onto the house. The storm left some town residents without power for most of that afternoon and evening.
A neighbor helped put a tarp on the O’Haras' house before Al O’Hara came home that afternoon. Al O'Hara said that while falling, the tree turned 90 degrees and landed on the strongest part of the house, which prevented any greater damage. Nearby Baker Road was blocked off that afternoon.
Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, including one state trooper, and members of the community stopped their cars to check on the family and the condition of their house. Ultimately, it was Al, an engineer, who decided that the house was safe enough to sleep in that night.
“We should start charging people who stop by to take a look,” he said jokingly.
The house may have been safe to sleep in, but Al O’Hara said that aside from the roof itself needing to be fixed, the ceiling in the living room, where there is water damage, will need to be replaced.
Beekman Town Supervisor John Adams said the volunteer fire department, along with the highway department and several maintenance crews, were sent out to clean up the area on Tuesday morning.
“We had 3,900 NYSEG (New York State Electric & Gas) customers without power, which started before 1 p.m. on Monday,” Adams said.
Adams went on to say that by 2 p.m. the following day, there were 250 customers or less without power. NYSEG provided water and dry ice to those in need in the early part of the week.
The recovery efforts lasted into the week, Adams said. But he added that it could take several weeks for some homeowners to recuperate.
Beekman Elementary School on Lime Ridge Road was closed the following day (June 24) due to a power outage.
