As a summer resident of Rangeley from The Bronx, I was shocked when this summer’s microburst hit our hamlet of 30 homes.

Hundreds of trees fell in my wooded neighborhood, knocking down power lines and tearing them from camps. Trees landed on sheds, vehicles, homes, and roads, blocking access by utility trucks.

I was stunned when, immediately after, all my neighbors ran out of their homes at once to check on one another. Within minutes those with chainsaws began working together to cut up and remove trees blocking roads.

It was amazing to see such teamwork mobilize so quickly. It was like The Avengers – superheroes assembling immediately in a call to action. Within two hours, utility trucks had access to all the downed lines, and within 26 hours we had electricity again.

Contrast this with my husband’s experience in The Bronx, where he works. We live in a residential, tree-lined area. When Tropical Storm Isaias came through, it also toppled trees and power lines, blocking roads.

Neighbors there were also quick to check on each other, but by cell phone rather than face-to-face. People in The Bronx don’t usually have chainsaws, so there wasn’t that kind of community action. But our electric company didn’t even allow hired arborists with chainsaws to touch any tree that had a power line tangled in it. Roads remained impassable, and the neighborhood was without power for six sweltering days.

We owe Maine’s efficiency in getting things back to normal to Rangeley’s spirit of cooperation!

Elizabeth Pimentel, Bronx, N.Y. and Rangeley

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