Concerns expressed by officials at a 4 pm emergency operations meeting Friday, May 18 turned to safety after news that a utility crew member was slightly injured while clearing trees

That worker, who was struck in the head by a branch according to an Eversource liaison, is okay.

But First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and Health District and Deputy Emergency Management Director Donna Culbert warned that storm fatigue is setting in, and homeowners frustrated because they still have downed trees and no power who may be clearing obstructions themselves need to be doubly careful.

To that point, Public Works Director Fred Hurley reminded residents to avoid approaching or speaking with crews who are engaged in doing clearing or restoration work, as the distraction could prompt an injury.

Mr Hurley also said that soaking rain expected Saturday could loosen ground around partially uprooted trees causing more to fall, so residents should be aware if they see listing trees and stay clear.

Although multiple weekend activities in town have been postponed, a hazardous waste disposal event at the Town Public Works Garage is still happening, as is a companion food drive. Residents who were already planning to dispose of qualified materials, or who wish to make food donations that will stay in the community, can do so at the same time.

A 6 pm concert in Sandy Hook is still on schedule, with Mr Rosenthal commenting that it could provide a nice distraction for residents who have been dealing with post storm issues since a devastating macroburst hit the region May 15

By 5:45 pm Friday, power outages were still affecting 3,363 Eversource customers or about 30 percent of the town, but the local liaison said a large circuit was being worked on with the potential of re-energizing about 1.225 homes or businesses by evening. She also said that all of then utility's trained crews are working as fast and as safely as possible, with the focus on safety.

The majority of Newtown homes are expected to be back on line with electrical service by noontime on Sunday, with a small number of restorations likely to take longer due to the severity of those individual situations.

The utility had 43 line crews, 13 tree crews, and 12 additional service crews working in Newtown late Friday afternoon, with the likelihood that at lease some crews accompanied by local public works staffers could work through the night. Newtown's waste water treatment plant on Commerce Road was among the key facilities brought back on line Friday afternoon.

Frontier telecommunications crews were also beginning to coordinate with town and electrical service teams as of Friday afternoon to begin their own service restorations, Mr Hurley said.

A representative from All Star Transportation said he plans to try and run bus routes Sunday in anticipation of school being held Monday, but several factors could cause that situation to change. Parents should watch for announcements sometime later on Sunday from the school district.

Ms Culbert also reminded anyone who is outside doing cleanup or tree cutting to do a thorough tick check once they come inside.

Officials also advised residents to document damage as thoroughly as possible with photos or videos. At some point, as Newtown initiates an application for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for storm restoration, officials may seek to share images and videos taken by residents.

Residents with dramatic images of storm damage are welcome to share them with The Newtown Bee, by e-mailing or texting them to john@thebee.com.