CT Still Recovering From May 2018 Tornado Storm

CONNECTICUT — Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the unusual and particularly devastating May storm that wreaked havoc across Connecticut. The storm system spawned four tornadoes and several macrobursts that leveled trees and damaged homes. Two people were killed in New Fairifeld and Brookfield and several others were injured across the state.

The storm became infamous for destroying a large swath of Sleeping Giant State Park's forest and closing the park for more than a year. Other parts of Hamden, including Quinnipiac University also saw many trees knocked down or completely uprooted. In total 86 properties in Hamden were classified as being destroyed by the storm.

Tornadoes touched down in Winsted, Barkhamsted, Oxford/Southbury and Hamden/Beacon Falls. A macroburst was also confirmed in New Fairfield and Brookfield.

The state hasn't fully recovered from the damage. Sleeping Giant State Park remains closed, but is expected to open at some point this season. The storm caused about $23.7 million in damage and clean up costs for state and local governments in Connecticut, according to the Hartford Courant. Many agencies are still awaiting federal reimbursement.

More than 120,000 electric customers were without power at the peak of outages and it took utility crews several days to restore power to some areas. Crews had to contend with numerous obstacles including downed trees that made roads impassible. Eversource replaced more than 300 miles of downed power lines at a cost of $65 million.

Related:

• 4 Tornadoes Confirmed In Connecticut: National Weather Service
• Photos: Connecticut Storm Aftermath

The federal Small Business Administration approved a request for homeowners and businesses to be eligible for loans to cover damages.

Below are some reader-submitted images of storm damages. Check the link above for a full gallery.