Hurricane Isaiah stormed its way up the east coast in early August, 2020. While it had decreased intensity to a tropical storm by the time it hit Connecticut, it still packed a mighty punch when it made landfall. Trees and power lines were down all over. At times like this, the best way to get around is a motorcycle with at least some dual-sport capability. Motocheez and his friend set out to do some exploring, and show us some of the damage in this video.

His weapon of choice was the "Hellcougar," his TaoTao Hellcat cheap Chinese clone of a Honda Grom with an engine upgrade from 125 to 190cc. The engine upgrades makes little difference in such treacherous conditions, but the addition of knobby tires gives it at least some capability in the rough stuff.

He also brought along his electric chainsaw. This turned out to be an excellent idea, since power crews were nowhere to be seen in rural Connecticut for days after the storm, leaving many without power. When they came across a good Samaritan about to hack away with a hand saw at a tree partially blocking the road, they joined in, making short work of it. This happens several more times during the ride. With road crews nowhere in sight, it was up to individuals to clear the roadways.

That is, except for trees that fell on top of power lines. Even in a situation like this when you are 99 percent sure the power is off, always assume the line is live, and don't even try it. They did take a few chances riding under trees and over lines that I wouldn't have taken. A bike doesn't have a metal body around it to channel electricity around you the way a car does, and I would not have wanted to risk completing that circuit by accident. They did come out of it just fine, though.

Some roads were too blocked for even a Grom clone to get through. One guy invited them to cut through his yard to get around. At another blockage they took the power line trails instead. Ironically, the trails were in far better condition than the roads were. They got lost taking a "shortcut" around a locked gate but eventually found their way back.

Going exploring on your bike after a major storm can be a lot of fun, especially on a dual-sport. I've done it, and as a Skywarn spotter I've taken pictures of damage for the National Weather Service archives. Just be safe about it, and don't take any chances around power lines.

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