Power Restored to Most of Enfield

The majority of Enfield residents had power restored as of Monday morning, in the aftermath of the effects of Hurricane Irene.

At 11:30 a.m., 452 CL&P customers in town were still without power, representing 2 percent of more than 19,000 homes.

A representative of the power company was in the Enfield emergency management dispatch center Monday morning, according to Assistant Town Manager Dan Vindigni, the town's Director of Emergency Management.

"He told us he has a crew on Wallop School Road," Vindigni said. "The priorities are Fletcher Road, Cottage Road and Wallop School Road."

Cottage Road has been closed since about 9:45 Sunday morning, when a tree fell across the street, bringing down a live power line with it. Residents on the north end of the long dead end street had been unable to leave the area until a back gate to nearby Hallmark Cards was opened, Vindigni said.

More than five inches of rain fell over the weekend, including 3.84 inches on Sunday, shattering the record for that date established in 1971, according to the National Weather Service.

Vindigni said there was no flooding in the usual problem areas, including Cranbrook Boulevard and the Lynch Terrace/O'Hear Avenue neighborhood. The South River Street boat launch was closed due to rapid flow from up north on the Connecticut River, he said.

Town officials prepared well for the storm, Vindigni said. "We opened the Freshwater Pond dam gate Thursday morning, and the Shaker Pines Lake Association opened theirs Wednesday night," he said. "The citizens of Enfield were extremely cooperative and pro-active; they did all the things you're supposed to do during weather conditions like this."

Volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team were in place at a shelter at Kennedy Middle School, but it was not opened, Vindigni said.

The town transfer station on Town Farm Road will have extended hours this week to accommodate residents cleaning up after the storm. A message left by Enfield Patch at the Public Works Department regarding the extended hours had not been returned by publication time.

Vindigni said town officials would be participating in a conference call with the governor's office at 3:30 p.m. Monday. He said since President Obama had declared a state of emergency in Connecticut, the town would be eligible to apply for expense reimbursement.