HARTFORD — Dozens of trees were damaged across Hartford, especially in its parks and cemeteries, due to last week's strong storms.
Brian Wirth of the local Parks and Recreation Department, said 20 to 30 trees were lost and another 30 had canopies cracked with limbs hanging. Most of the storm damage was cleaned up, but crews are continuing to check damaged trees are safe.
Pleasant Hill Cemetery was one of the areas where trees were hit by the storms. Trees were uprooted and torn down. Wirth said some of the monuments were damaged.
"It’s just something to watch these big trees just fall over," said Jan Hefter, who stopped by the cemetery to check on her parents' graves.
"The damage that was sustained from the tree was really kinda remarkable," said Garrett Terpstra, one of the Westphal Mansion Inn Bed and Breakfast innkeepers.
Terpstra and his wife had a large tree on the inn's front lawn split in half during a storm Sunday. He said it just missed their guests rushing to escape the elements.
"They no sooner got in the house and three minutes from where they were standing the tree came down and fell," said Terpstra.
Part of a vintage light post and an arbor broke. The bowl of a 102-year-old water fountain they restored years ago shattered.
"The damage that was sustained from the tree was really kinda remarkable." — Garrett Terpstra, one of the Westphal Mansion Inn Bed and Breakfast innkeepers.
The work and repairs will take time for the Terpstras, but they are keeping their spirits up as they move forward.
"It was surreal at the moment, and after you figured out everybody was OK there was really no big deal. All of this we can take care of," said Terpstra.
