86 Properties Destroyed By Storm In Hamden: Update

HAMDEN, CT — Eighty-six properties in Hamden have been classified as being destroyed as a result of the recent storm that hit town, according to officials. Mayor Curt Balzano Leng and Hamden’s Emergency Officials have released the following update to residents on the town’s tornado recovery efforts:

Since the storm hit on May 15, Town Departments have been hard at work restoring storm-affected areas to order. Fire Chief David Berardesca reported that all streets are now accessible to emergency vehicles. In total, 90 residences were visited by the Red Cross with 86 properties now classified by the Red Cross as being destroyed. During the storm period, the Department responded to 346 incidents, handled more than 75 medical patients and evacuated more than 100 non-injured residents.

An aid distribution center was established at West Woods School at 12 p.m. on May 17 and closed at 6 p.m. on May 19. 300 cases of water, numerous gallons of water for flushing of toilets and bathrooms, snacks and small food item were distributed from generous donations provided by residents, near-by businesses, school PTAs and many others. 23 CERT members logged 323 man hours at the Center and served 79 families totaling 234 people. A special thanks to Hamden, Stop and Shop, Shoprite, AAA, Milford Emergency Management, Amici Restaurant of Hamden, Falcon Pizza, and all residents and volunteers for their generous donations.

The Public Works Department remains entrenched as they continue efforts to remove and dispose of debris from the storm affected neighborhoods. Public Works has mobilized approximately 80% of the Department to remove debris with 40-yard dump trucks each day, and has employed the assistance of private contractors to assist with these efforts. These crews will continue to dispose of storm debris throughout the coming weeks. Announcements will be released when the bulk of storm debris cleanup has concluded and normal Public Works Operations resume. Spring Leaf & Brush pickup has been postponed due to emergency, but will resume in the coming weeks. An announcement will be issued.

The Police Department continues to deploy extra patrols in the West Woods and Mount Carmel neighborhoods, assisting Public Works crews with debris removal and disposal. The Police Department reminds residents to remain watchful of road work and debris removal crews, and to remain vigilant when hiring independent contractors to perform private debris removal.

Finally, the Engineering Department has prepared informational GIS maps, assessed sidewalks and bridge abutments, and coordinated the Skiff Street Bridge repairs. The Department will continue assessing sidewalk damage, as well as stumps and road replacement/repair opportunities throughout affected areas.

Commenting, Mayor Leng noted, “Our Town Departments have done a fantastic job of restoring areas impacted by the storm to safety. Certainly, a few weeks of debris removal remain due to the massive amount of damage experienced in specific neighborhoods. The Public Works Dept., Fire Dept., and Police Dept. – along with United Illuminating and our private contractor partners – deserve an immense amount of credit for their cleanup and public safety efforts over the past few weeks. Our Town, our employees, residents, and volunteers have united in solidarity to recover from this devastating natural disaster and I could not be prouder of these efforts.”

Residents affected by the tornado who wish to submit work requests or notice of damages to the Town should do so by utilizing Hamden’s “SeeClickFix” platform. The “SeeClickFix” application can be downloaded to your iPhone or Android device, and can also be accessed from www.hamden.com/seeclickfix. Please be sure to submit storm related inquiries and complaints under the “Tornado 2018” category.