CAPE VINCENT, New York (WWNY) – The wind is all you could hear in Cape Vincent on Christmas Eve as residents bunker down to outlast the blizzard.
Throughout the morning, many were going on double digit hours without power.
Fire Chief Bill Gould says whiteout conditions along with high winds led to poor conditions throughout the village.
The National Weather Service reported winds reached as high as 65 miles per hour.
The damage from those winds could be seen all over as a tree on Point Street fell on top of some power lines, causing the street to shut down.
Another tree fell onto a home on Broadway Street, damaging some of the roof. No one was home at the time.
National Grid crews around the area were working vigorously, trying to restore the service as quickly as they could.
According to Jefferson County Emergency Management, the prolonged power outage was likely due to a problem at the National Grid sub-station near Chaumont.
Gould says during a storm like this, handling calls can be tricky.
“Especially when you have trees and wires involved as to how you approach things. Every call is different, you have just got to use your head,” said Gould.
Gould says they turned their station into a warming center for those looking for shelter as they waited for the power to return.
Over at North Pole Fire Company, just outside Watertown, Chief Joe Wargo says they did the same thing.
He says although many have had to cancel their Christmas plans, being safe is more important.
“It’s unknown and unclear as to how long we will be required to stay open, but this is going to be a long duration event and people would just be helpful to us if everybody would stay home,” said Wargo.
As of Saturday night, there are still people without power across the tri-county region.
Copyright 2022 WWNY. All rights reserved.
