A driver was injured and East Hampton Village Main Street was closed for more than an hour on Wednesday after a massive tree limb fell without warning, reaching from one side of the road to the other — a span of about 100 feet.
East Hampton police have not yet released the name of the driver, whose injuries did not immediately appear to be serious. Her small sport utility vehicle's front windows were shattered and there was minor damage to the hood. The driver was out of her car as emergency personnel arrived, gathering herself at the side of the street in a chair provided by a neighbor.
The driver of a second car who came feet away from being struck by the thick, branching limb was reportedly shaken up but not hurt. Several parked cars escaped damage by mere inches; one was not so lucky and had its roof staved in.
An initial emergency call brought police and ambulance personnel to the scene, roughly opposite the East Hampton Presbyterian Church, shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday. Police immediately diverted westbound traffic at Huntting Lane. Vehicles headed east were shunted onto Dunemere Lane by traffic control officers. Backups extended more than a mile in both directions.
Main Street reopened in both directions at about 11:30 a.m. after the East Hampton Village Public Works Department cut the limb into smaller pieces to cart it away.
The village maintains Main Street trees in partnership with the Ladies Village Improvement Society, though Main Street, also known as Route 27, is a state road. There was no advance indication that the tree was at any immediate risk of falling.
Efforts have been underway since the 1970s to save the village elms from a fungus known as Dutch elm disease that can significantly weaken and kill the trees. The village has had to remove about four elms each year recently in response to a burst of the disease.
