RSS 2.0 FeedSeptember 1, 2011, Merrick Life
Tree traps North Merrick fire truck
Firefighters wait for LIPA response.
Hurricane Irene was just getting warmed up and beginning to unleash her forceful winds upon our community, and the North Merrick Fire Department was responding to a call for help at Camp and Park Avenues.
Just as the firefighters exited the firetruck they heard a crack and down came a large tree smack-dab in the middle of their truck. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
North Merrick Fire Chief Jim Allen and the others requested help from LIPA to remove the mammoth timber so they could assess the damage, and perhaps continue to use the vehicle with hopes that it was not badly damaged. Unfortunately, LIPA did not respond to the firefighters as swiftly as they respond to the public.
The tree lay on the truck almost 12 hours and through the night until 9 a.m., when it was finally removed. The truck sustained only light damage and was quickly back in operation. The North Merrick Fire Department attended to over 40 alarms for assistance between Saturday and Sunday.
Pummeled by Hurricane Irene
The Savoca family had a rude awakening at 3 a.m. when a tree next door fell onto their Lexus and Acura cars in the driveway near the corner of Park and Camp Avenues in North Merrick. “I moved one car out of the street into the driveway because I thought another tree could fall on it,” said Michele Savoca.
Huddled in the basement of their house against the hurricane winds lashing the house with ferocious rains, the Savocas were first startled at 1 a.m. when they heard the “awful” crack of a tree crash down on a North Merrick Fire Department truck while it was stopped at a red light on Park and Camp. That tree was in the yard of their other next door neighbor.
“They just cut the trees off the truck about an hour ago,” said Mark Savoca, a Little League coach. “I didn’t even know it was a firetruck under the tree,” he continued.
Even with the damage to their cars, the Savocas expressed gratitude that the damage was not more severe.
On Silver Birch Drive in Merrick a family, who requested anonymity, said their tall, 50-foot tree near the roadside fell down and across the entire street at about 8:10 a.m. on Sunday morning.
“We’re just glad it didn’t fall over onto the house,” the wife said. The husband told Hempstead Town crew members that the tree was still there at 8 a.m. when he looked out. But it wasn’t when he looked out again soon after.
Another tree fell across the entire street at the corner of Smith Street and Merokee Drive, scene of similar mayhem less than two weeks ago when Smith Pond flooded, knocking out lights to the area and flooding backyards and basements.
County Legislator Dave Denenberg, Democrat od Merrick, was with constituents discussing damage, and was joined by Derek Donnelly, president of the Merrick Gables Association.
Ricky, manager of The Jade Dynasty Restaurant in the Stop & Shop mall in Merrick, told Merrick Life that he was not hurt by closure of his business for two days. “We lost no frozen foods while we were closed.”
