Blizzard damages greenhouses

SALEM, Conn. (WTNH) -- Recovery continues for some of the state's nurseries which suffered a lot during the blizzard because their greenhouses collapsed.

"The weight of the snow just kind of trickled down into where the gutters are," said Anne Duncan.

The weight of that snow proved too much for her Anne Duncan's gutter connect greenhouses. Her Salem Herbfarm now in shambles.

"It was so heavy it just all broke and twisted," said Duncan.

The blizzard knocked out her out of business and left her ninety by sixty foot greenhouse space in ruins.

"This is a complete disaster. This is now repairable. This will all have to be taken down," said Duncan.

The pots were all ready to be planted with seeds, something she usually does in mid February but instead she is dealing with insurance companies and calculating losses.

The greenhouses did survive the record snowfall we had a couple of winters ago but that's because Anne's husband was able to go up onto the roof in between each storm and shovel off the snow. With this storm he never even had the chance to do that.

"And it was too dangerous to do that," said Duncan.

Fortunately she can use this other green house which lost it's plastic covering during a recent wind storm.

"I think a lot of other greenhouses are also having the same situation and who knows what impact that is going to have as a consumer," said Duncan.

Duncan says folks may not be able to get the variety of plants they usally buy.

Duncan is hoping she'll be able to get the plastic up on that other greenhouse Friday so she'll be ready to open for the season April 1, her usual start date.