Batten Down the Hatches! [VIDEO}

City officials say they're doing their part to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irene -- which they anticipate could wreak havoc in parts of the city.

But they stress all Milfordites make personal emergency plans, which include stocking up on necessities and keeping in touch with family, friends and neighbors.

"We're going to take a pretty good hit here," Mayor James Richetelli Jr. said.

"We're bracing for heavy rains, heavy winds, and everything that's associated with that."

The storm is expected to start with rain on Saturday and increase in intensity with heavy rains by midnight Saturday. By Sunday morning, near torrential rains and winds with a tropical force are expected -- until the hurricane strikes Sunday afternoon.

But there could be up to a 12-hour difference in the current prediction.

Officials say 10 to 15 inches of rain and winds of more than 100 mph are expected.

If the storm comes in as a Category 3, high tides would automatically bump Irene's severity up to a Category 4 event.

Core members of the city's Emergency Operations Team -- from the fire, police, public works and health departments -- met Thursday to make plans in case of an emergency.

Members of the entire team -- including the Milford Senior Center, Finance Department, Animal Shelter, and Transit District -- are scheduled to meet Friday morning.

Others, from United Illuminating, AT&T, the American Red Cross and Milford Hospital, will also be on hand.

The departments will be full staff -- and others will be on call.

"Whatever it costs, we have to do it," the mayor said.

Meanwhile, city workers are out preparing for Irene's arrival and the damage that could be left in her wake by:

-- cleaning drains and gutters in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding.

-- gassing up chainsaws and other heavy equipment

-- piling barricades into trucks

-- preparing inflatable boats

-- checking generators

-- pulling police and fire boats out of the water to prevent damage.

-- planning to move the animals at the Milford Animal Shelter, which is vulnerable because it's near the beach at Silver Sands State Park, to a private facility.

Firefighters met with retired fire brass who had been on duty during previous storms, Assistant Fire Chief Bob Healy said. In sharing their experiences, they not only bridged the gap between the two generations, but undoubtedly imparted invaluable advice.

"The senior chiefs were around the table and the junior officers were just sucking it up," Healy said.

City officials stressed the importance of having a personal emergency plan. To make a plan go to www.ready.gov and www.redcross.org. That includes stocking up on water, nonperishable food, and batteries.

There may come a time when officials will have to instruct residents to evacuate. They warn residents to heed the order or risk facing the consequences.

Do not assume you will be rescued.

Rough waters, high winds, and heavy flooding could prevent emergency workers from getting to trapped residents via boats, helicopters or trucks.

"If we tell people to leave, they should get out," Healy said. "Once the storm starts, they're not going to be able to get out and we're may not be able to get in."

Brass may not be willing to risk the lives of cops and firefighters in an area where it's not clear there are any survivors, the assistant chief said.

"We have to go with the good of the many versus the good of the few," he added bluntly.

Officials warn residents not to:

-- drive their cars through standing water, which could be a lot deeper than it looks.

-- go near down wires because they could be live.

Officials are in the process of choosing buildings that could serve as emergency shelters, which the mayor said he expects will be used considering the strength of the storm. Shelter locations will be announced once the track of the storm is nailed down.

Emergency pet shelters will be set up nearby. In Hurricane Katrina, many people risked their own lives by refusing to leave behind their pets.