Gov. Malloy: State Offices to Close Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

Press release:

Emergency Operations Center Will Be Partially Activated at 8AM Tomorrow; DOT Suspends All Road Work

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that state office buildings will close on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 12:30 p.m. due to the anticipated snowstorm that is expected to significantly impact the state. Nonessential state employees will be dismissed at that time.

“After speaking with emergency management officials and assessing the current forecast, I have decided to close state office buildings at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon,” said Governor Malloy. “The more we can get cars off the road before this storm’s real impact is felt, the better our chances are for dealing with whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has canceled all planned road work beginning Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. to ease congestion and accommodate drivers who are modifying their travel plans and traveling to their holiday destinations tonight instead.

The Governor also announced that he will partially activate the state’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning to monitor storm conditions across the state.

“Activating the EOC will allow us to better coordinate a rapid response to any problems that may arise as the storm moves through the state during the busiest travel day of the year,” continued the Governor. “I am urging everyone to factor the weather into their travel plans, to make arrangements to reach their destination tonight or Thursday morning if possible, and to use caution and take it slow if you must travel on Wednesday.”

Also, beginning Wednesday morning, the Connecticut National Guard will begin strength and equipment status reporting from all armories across the state in anticipation of potential missioning throughout the storm period.

Total snowfall is currently forecast to range from 2” to 4” along the immediate coast and southeastern Connecticut, 6” to 10” in the valleys of central and northern Connecticut and up to 14” in the Northwest and Northeast Hills.

The EOC will be staffed with representatives from Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Division of State Police, Commission on Fire Prevention and Control), Department of Transportation, Department of Public Health, Connecticut National Guard.

All state employees are encouraged to monitor the “Notification of Early Release/Late Opening for State Offices” page on the DEMHS website for the latest updates on state office closures.