CHICOPEE – Jeff Cady, the general manager of Chicopee Electric Light Department (CELD), believes the damage sustained by the city from Tropical Storm Isaias was the worst since the 2011 when the city had a microburst and the October blizzard.

Cady told Reminder Publishing that 5,000 households at the storm’s peak were without power.

Speaking several days after the storm, he said. “We’re pretty much done [repairing the damage]. I think we’re in good shape.”

The crews at CELD were helped by workers from three other communities: Littleton, Mansfield and Russell.

Springfield Street was very hard hit. Cady said five poles were destroyed plus the transformers on them.

“It was pretty bad up there,” he said.

The street was closed so the crews could replace the poles and restore power.

He noted the storm knocked down many large trees that broke poles and severed lines. There were many uprooted trees and Cady praised the city’s Department of Public Works and Forestry crews for cleaning up the trees quickly allowing the electrical crews to restore power.

It took two days for the affected trees to be cleared out, he said.

Around the city homeowners were clearing away fallen branches and raking up leaves.

Cady said CELD has always has to be prepared for such weather emergencies.