High Wind — Southern Fairfield, Connecticut

1996-10-19 · Southern Fairfield, Connecticut

Wider weather episode

On Friday October 18th, a strong low pressure system developed on a cold front over the DelMarVa Peninsula. With a high pressure system in place across Northern New England, the low intensified and moved slowly off the Southern New Jersey Coast on Saturday, the 19th.As the difference in pressures increased, strong and gusty east winds developed across the region during Saturday morning. Strong gusty winds and torrential rain combined to down trees and power lines.In New Canaan (Southern Fairfield County), a 40 year old man died when a tree fell on the pick-up truck he was driving on Route 23. His 13 year old daughter was treated for injury at Norwalk Hospital. High winds downed numerous trees and power lines from Greenwich east to Norwalk, including New Canaan. At Bridgeport Airport, the peak wind gust was 56 mph. High winds combined with high tides wrecked at least $1 million worth of sail and power boats torn from the moorings off Wilson Cove. More than a dozen luxury yachts and assorted smaller boats were smashed against private sea walls and the Bell Island Bridge in Bell Island.In Southern New Haven County, the peak wind gust measured at Outer Island was 58 mph. In New Haven, a woman was taken to St. Raphael's hospital with minor injuries after being struck by a falling tree limb.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5582260. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.