Isaias Struck Roosevelt Island in the first week of August 2020. It was downgraded by then to a tropical storm, but the Island was carpeted with downed trees and branches, the worst centered on the north end.
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by David Stone
Isaias struck Roosevelt Island. The tropical storm had bursts of power, but a lone tree, stripped bare, testified about the aftermath.
Already suffering from RIOC‘s years-long campaign of tree and foliage removal, Roosevelt Island lost more trees to powerful winds.
Related: Isaias Exposes RIOC Dysfunction
After Isaias Struck Roosevelt Island
A possible tornado, but more likely a microburst, yanked a pair of senior trees out of the ground beside Pony Field.
From a distance, seeing the trees laid out across the fence and into left field, it looked almost serene.
But a closer look showed its power.
Not simply blown down, a tree ripped away whole from its roots.
Nearby, a mixed story.
Along the East Promenade, one tree stood, but for its nearby neighbor, a calamitous end.
The narrow band of serious damage extended into Lighthouse Park
Isaias’s strongest winds cut a narrow path from Pony Field past The Octagon and Coler into Lighthouse Park.
Broken limbs littered Lighthouse Park, but the only serious damage was this tree. It was bent and broken by a last blast before winds whipped away into Hell Gate.
A friendly flock of Canadian Geese made a tentative return to Roosevelt Island after Isaias tore through.
A picnic area played catcher for branches and leaves torn free.
Tables and trash cans held firm, but some foliage was not as lucky.
Along the seawall, fallen branches blocked the West Promenade.
The newly improved Roosevelt Island seawalls held broken limbs from heading out to sea by way of the East River.
Roosevelt Island After Isaias, Not So Bad
Gradually, it became clear that most of Roosevelt Island escaped the worst of Tropical Storm Isaias’s winds and rain. The storm surge did not cause flooding.
Once that was clear, I turned back toward home but could not, along the way miss a touch of storm-related irony.
Did Isaias leave a comment about the mess RIOC’s recently made about bike safety?
You Can FOIL* It
On April 15, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, a simple exchange revealed something far more consequential than anything formally presented that evening.
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