Stonington clobbered by Sandy

STONINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) -- At the historic borough of Stonington, where sailors and residents have withstood hurricanes for more than two hundred years, the evidence of the 80-plus mile per hour wind gusts is evident everywhere and the old town also faced an enormous storm surge. Everyone was evacuated and now 95 percent of town is still without power.

If you're familiar with Stonington, the old town is the historic district that goes all the way down to the lighthouse on the point and the beach. The entire section was under two to three feet of water, the first selectman says. They were completely isolated.

The town dock area was washed away, and the ground is covered with sand and rock that washed down the mile or so from the beach on the point.

The first selectman says they desperately need help from C-L-&-P to identify downed wires so they can get emergency vehicles through.

"We have 36 different critical incidents, so we have no passage on those roads so if an ambulance or something...I mean you're talking minutes and lives," First Selectman Ed Haberek said.

"This was more of a traditional hurricane type thing. We know that folks out here were used to it a little bit more. They catch the high winds a little bit more," Gov. Malloy said.

Nearby New London fared much better. Boats were knocked around and the marina here has a lot of work to do, but the only casualty appears to be the Opsrey Beach Club, which had stood here since 1939. The current owner, who bought it in the 1970's says he watched it crash away.

"This never went down in all the hurricanes I went through, Irene, but the force of the wall, it went like this and it snapped and the concrete was floating like cork in the water," Joe Caldrello, of New London, said.