What South Windsor Residents Should Do to Prepare for Hurricane Sandy

If and when Hurricane Sandy ventures into New England, South Windsor will be ready for her/him/it.

The hurricane could hit as early as Monday; where it will make direct landfall on the East Coast is unknown, though most forecasters say that Connecticut is in the storm’s crosshairs.

As of Friday evening, the models point to the storm landing in between New Jersey and Long Island. AccuWeather, in an e-mail alert Friday morning, said Sandy could take on the characteristics of a massive Nor'Easter while colliding with other weather systems and combining with the effects of a full moon.

One of the differences between Sandy and many other recent storms, is that it is expected to last more than a day.

“We’re talking about a [storm] delivery timeframe of substantially longer than perhaps what people are used to,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy told a gathering of reporters outside his offices at the state capitol Friday morning. “This is not a 12-hour storm. This could be a 36-hour storm with 40-plus mile an hour winds.” Residents should also plan for a minimum of seven inches of rain, he said.

South Windsor Officials Prepared

Regardless, South Windsor appears to be prepared.

Town Manager Matthew Galligan held two meetings - one Thursday and another at 10 a.m. Friday - with department heads and the superintendent of schools to discuss emergency operations.

Galligan said in an interview Thursday that he was making sure all the generators had gasoline, all town vehicles had their fuel topped off and that people were aware of the procedure to open the emergency operations center.

Because the dispatch area at the police department is being renovated, the emergency operations center will be located at Town Hall, Galligan said.

In addition, all 4,562 storm drains in town have been cleared of leaves, Galligan said. Residents are reminded that leaves piled in the roadway will interfere with storm water drainage and that they must be kept on homeowners’ properties.

The Charles N. Enes Community Center is set up to be the town’s initial emergency shelter. If the demand proves to be too great, the shelter will be moved to the South Windsor High School.

As for the storm, Deputy Chief of Police Richard Riggs said that the town was, like most municipalities, keeping a close tab on when and where it will make landfall.

“It’s a slow-moving storm,” Riggs said. “It’s slowed down [as of 4 p.m. Friday]. That gives us plenty of time to prepare ourselves. But if does hit us, it’s going to be over us for a longer duration - much longer than the storm of a year ago.”

What Residents Should do to Prepare

Riggs said that members of the public should take a “common sense approach” to the storm, ensuring that they have, among other things, ample drinking water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, and an AM/FM radio.

“People should be prepared to be without power for some time,” Riggs said. “We had a pretty good sense of that from last year’s experience.”

Riggs also advised residents to stock up on their medications and prescriptions - including oxygen - in advance.

People on oxygen should get an extra bottle if they can, Riggs said. Emergency personnel who respond to calls from people who run out of oxygen are placed in a tough position, Riggs said, noting that their job is to assess a situation and take people who need it to the hospital for medical treatment.

“They are not a delivery service,” he said.

Make Sure You Have a Storm Emergency Kit

CL&P is working hard on public relations in advance of this storm, trying to avoid some of the criticism the company faced from the handling of Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm. The American Red Cross also has extensive information about emergency preparedness, and yes, there's even "an app for that."

Safeguard Patio Furniture and Other Outdoor Items

Also from the American Red Cross: "Forecasts are still projecting damaging winds for us from Hurricane Sandy. Since we are already at the end of 'outdoor season,' use this weekend to put away lawn furniture, take down hanging planters, put away grills and store other stuff that could get blown around when Sandy hits us early next week.'"

Use Caution when Using Generators and Candles

Riggs said that people should use caution when using their generators. Do not use them indoors or in the garage. Also, the South Windsor fire department says use caution when using candles - keep them away from kids, animals and curtains.

What to do with Animals

Though construction is not yet complete, the Tyler Regional Animal Control Shelter on Sullivan Avenue is available on a limited basis, according to Chief of Police Matthew Reed.

Emergency Operations Contact, Phone Numbers

The phone numbers for the Emergency Operations Center are 860-644-2551. Anyone with storm-related issues in town should call one of those numbers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

For storm updates, visit the South Windsor Patch or go to the South Windsor police department website or the South Windsor police Facebook page.

From the South Windsor fire department: Have important familiy/service related phone numbers. "Many people have their numbers in a cell phone. If the phone can not be charged or there is no service, have important numbers available elsewhere."

Sign up for Everbridge

In addition, residents may sign up for the Everbridge system here to receive the latest reports from the town.

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