Various news sources are reporting that an unidentified Easton (CT) firefighter was killed when a tree fell on his fire department truck.
No other details were immediately available, according to the Connecticut Post (http://bit.ly/T06xph). Easton is located in southeastern Connecticut, a little more than 60 miles from New York City.
UPDATE: The firefighter who died has been identified as Easton Fire Lt. Russ Neary (http://bit.ly/VBGVPB).
The firefighter’s death comes in the wake of the so-called superstorm Hurricane Sandy, which caused several other deaths and substantial damage throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and along the East Coast.
News sources reported that at least 50 flooded homes were destroyed by fire in Queens, New York; 190 firefighters responded to the incident. High winds from the storm may have caused a partial crane collapse at a luxury skyscraper under construction on West 57th street. In addition, Fire Department of New York headquarters on Grand Street in Manhattan had to be evacuated by boat, according to a Weather Channel report (http://wxch.nl/SuxdAe). Meanwhile, the hurricane caused serious flooding and destruction in Lower Manhattan.
On the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City and other barrier islands suffered severe damage from the storm, and a portion of the famed Atlantic City boardwalk was washed away by the storm surge.
