[Update] Residents, Town Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Area residents are scrambling to prepare for Hurricane Irene's expected punch.

At in Canton Village residents began lining up before the store even opened at 7 a.m. By 10:30 a.m., 267 customers had cashed out on a day that would normally see some 400 to 450 in total.

Five generators went immediately this morning, gas cans were selling well, two pallets of tube sand was quickly purchased and batteries and flashlights were a hot commodity.

“(We’ve sold) literally thousands of batteries and hundreds of flashlights,” owner Fred Larsen Sr. said. "We’re out of D-cells."

The store received a shipment of some of those items at 5 a.m. and was waiting for another and possibly one later in the day or early tomorrow. Larsen said he hopes to have more batteries and flashlights in stock from those deliveries but had no guarantees.

The store even brought in 24 cases of water, which it doesn’t normally sell. It went in an hour.

“Obviously, other stores in the area must have run out,” he said.

Many stores were indeed out. of Canton’s shelves were devoid of plain water shortly before 11 a.m. An employee at the store, reached by phone, said he did expect more but was not sure of the exact time of delivery.

In Avon, Wal-Mart and Big Y were nearly cleaned out Thursday night but expected more throughout the weekend.

The town continued to prepare for the storm Friday as well and due to expected flooding, planned to protect some offices, such as the Board of Education’s in Collinsville with sandbags.

Emergency officials have also met several times and have crews ready to go, tanks and sand bags filled.

“Everybody’s on alert," said the the town’s director of emergency management Adam Libros.

The town will open its Emergency Operations Center at midnight Saturday, First Selectman Richard Barlow said.

Libros and perhaps a few others will inititally staff the center and if the storm goes as expected other employees, such as Public Works Crews, will report in about 5 a.m. Sunday, Barlow said.

The town will also go forward with its plans to move Public Works vehicles away from the river and station an amublance in North Canton, Barlow added.

During the storm itself, residents in need can call for help and Libros gave some guidelines for that as well.

The 911 calls should be reserved for life-threatening emergencies such as fire, medical and rescue needs, he said.

“We’re trying to keep those lines open,” he said.

Residents who need to report other situations, such as downed trees and power lines, can call the routine dispatch number at 860-693-0221.

For power outages, residents should call Connecticut Light and Power directly at 860-947-2000.

Residents should be prepared that electricity may take some time to restore. Connecticut Light and Power will not be able to operate its bucket trucks if winds are over 30 miles an hour, Barlow said.