Irene Causing Problems in Canton

Town crews continued to respond to problems caused by Irene Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters manned the three stations in town since 8 p.m. Saturday, public works crews came in around 3 a.m. Sunday and police have worked closely with those departments.

Crews responded to downed wires and trees, water problems, flooded roads, a mattress fire and other problems.

"They've done an awesome job," said Richard Hutchings, chief of the Town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, adding that it was a well-coordinated effort from all involved.

The town's Emergency Operations center opened at midnight.

Adam Libros, the town's director of emergency management and  Hutchings staffed the center from midnight to 4 a.m. and later in the morning. Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner, Police Chief Christopher Arciero and Highway Foreman Rick Lassen also assisted when not working on other storm-related matters.

The town has not needed to open the community center as a shelter.

One of the town's largest concerns Sunday afternoon was the Farmington River.

First Selectman Richard Barlow declared an emergency in the early afternoon and firefighters strongly advised residents on Collins Road, Powder Mill and Sterling Drive to evacuate, which some did. Earlier in the day, firefighters used an All Terrain Vehicle to advise residents on Old Canton Road to do the same but everyone that was home declined.

The Water Pollution Control Authority building along the Farmington River was also experiencing some problems Sunday afternoon and had to turn off its disinfection unit, the final step in the cleaning process, first selectman Richard Barlow said. The large amount of water in the river will help dilute the problem, he added.

The WPCA was preparing to bring its backup pumps to higher ground but the situation seems to have steadied - at least for now, Barlow said mid afternoon.

Many residents are out looking at the river but Barlow urged caution since the water is moving so swiftly.

"We recommend that they stay a safe distance," Barlow said.

As of early afternoon, 7 and a half inches of water had fallen since the rain started, Libros said.

And that caused many problems.

The water from Cherry Brook covered Barbourtown Road earlier in the day. Water also covered parts of West Road, Cherry Brook Road, Old Canton Road and others.

Shortly after 11 a.m., 1,351 customers, or 27 percent of the town, remained without power.

Statewide 531,000 customers were without power at 11:14 a.m. eclipsing Hurricane Gloria's 477,000 in 1985.

Connecticut Light and Power was waiting for winds to diminish before responding but town crews responded to make sure areas were safe,  Barlow said.

One of the most affected areas for trees and wires was Torrington Avenue, between Erickson Drive and Town Bridge Road. Several trees have been reported down in the roadway and some wires are down.

Firefighters also responded to homes in the area, including one that had a minor electrical problems.

Some homes also had flooding problems, Barlow said earlier in the morning, including a couple on Cherry Brook Road and one on North Mountain Road by the morning.

Eleven people had requested pump outs as of 3 p.m. Sunday, Barlow said.

At 9:15 a.m. police and firefighters responded to a report of a car off the road on Cherry Brook Road (Route 179) near the grange hall. According to radio reports, the operator called and said he hydroplaned off the road but was not injured.