(WTNH) — In like a lion, the second day of March is off to a rough start as the wind roars across the state. Drivers everywhere were dodging downed trees, fallen wires, and wind gusts reached upwards of 50 miles an hour.
“The car has been all over the place and the wind is very cold. It’s a very cold wind. Not a nice warm wind,” said Judy Reynolds of Branford.
“It always makes me nervous. One of my biggest fears is that a truck switches lanes into me,” said Emma Kelly.
Emma is driving from Massachusetts to New York City with a group of friends. At a rest stop in Wallingford, she said the trip so far has been a white-knuckle, two hands on the wheel experience.
“We’ve passed like three accidents on the way down and my car is like a tin can so it’s not the most fun to drive,” said Kelly.
On the Wilbur Cross Parkway, traffic was at a standstill for hours this morning after a tree came crashing down on a van. Troopers and the Department of Transportation responded to the accident.
“On a day like today where it’s really windy, you can see the trees coming down, the power lines. Stuff can blow across the roadway, out of people’s yards or out of vehicles,” said Sergeant Eric Haglund with the Public Information Office of the Connecticut State Police.
Fortunately, troopers say the driver and passenger in the van received only minor injuries. Once the tree was removed, the parkway reopened by early afternoon.
Meriden was also hit hard by the strong winds. Trees came down on several side streets and another blocked traffic on Route 15.
In Wallingford, some wires fell down on a street and caught on fire.
It’s a day of wild New England weather that has many people looking at the brighter side of things, thankful the sun was out through it all.
“I’m glad it’s not raining. Snow I don’t really mind that much but rain is really a big hassle,” said Emma.
