A Fairfield, Connecticut, resident was killed after a tree limb fell on his car during a powerful thunderstorm on Sunday.
Fairfield police say David Schmerzler was pulling into the driveway of his home when the tree limb split and fell. Schmerzler was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
His wife was in the passenger seat and sustained minor injuries. Their daughter was in the rear seat but was not injured.
Connecticut’s largest utility provider, United Illuminating, reported more than 5,200 power outages in Fairfield over the weekend.
The violent storms hit southern Connecticut and Long Island on both Saturday and Sunday.
Power was knocked out from Greenwich to Westport, and fire departments responded to several carbon monoxide alarms immediately after the storms.
Metro-North trains were delayed as crews removed debris from the tracks in Norwalk. Flying debris closed two lanes on I-95 in Westport.
Sherwood Island State Park in Westport was closed Sunday after Saturday night’s storms caused significant damage. Park officials will use social media to announce when the park will open.
On Long Island, power was knocked out from Huntington to Port Jefferson on the North Shore, with downed trees and poles, and there were reports of a possible tornado in the Smithtown area.
Service on the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, and Montauk branches was disrupted because of downed trees and power lines.
Suffolk County Police say the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in the water off the Seaview Marina near Fire Island shortly after the storm. It’s not clear if the storm had a role in her death.
