Town Ready For Worst-Case Hurricane Scenario

East Greenwich town officials know they are going to be facing some extremely high water from hurricane Irene. The storm is scheduled to blow in right at high tide and that is a bad combination. The Harbormaster has advised boat owners to get their boats out of the water or take appropriate precautions.

The only good thing about the hurricane is that it looks like it's coming on a weekend and hopefully will sandwich in between the start of the work week and any school activities. 

However, like all acts of nature, the storm may not stick to the projections and computer models as it moves up the East Coast.

Town and Fire District officials met Thursday evening for a previously scheduled joint session, but the timing was perfect for an update of plans in the face of Hurricane Irene.

All town department heads met Thursday morning, then participated in a storm update conference call at midday. A similar schedule will take place today and if necessary right up until the storm hits.

Police Chief Colonel Thomas Coyle has doubled his staff during the hours the storm is expected and Fire Chief Peter Henrikson has additional personnel on duty as well.

Henrikson says all the Fire Department vehicles have been checked and double-checked for equipment and supplies, including chain saws.

The Public Works Department staff also has chain saws in their trucks, along with barricades to close roads if necessary, and all their staff is in place.

If the storm forces evacuations, the staging area will be the Police Station on First Avenue. Anyone forced out of their home would be taken from there to Red Cross shelters set up in Coventry and Warwick.

Town Manager Bill Sequino said Swift Community Center and Cole Middle School are backup emergency centers, but the main plan is to use a regionalized system developed by the Red Cross, which is the most experienced agency for temporary shelter.

For Potowomut residents, Chief Henrikson said Warwick authorities plan to house them in the Potowomut school which was closed by the school system and is not in use. 

The town is also planning to use the reverse 911 system out of the Police Department. The system can be programmed with a message, which can be sent out to almost every phone in town. Informational updates may be sent out several times a day before the storm hits, and as often as needed when it arrives.

There is a possibility of mandatory evacuations in some areas, such as mobile home parks. Sequino said there had been indications from the state that such an evacuation could be possible at Sun Valley Mobile Home Park on Route 2. However he and Chief Coyle emphasized that no one can be forced to leave, only encouraged. Officers would make the notification by going door to door and anyone who refused to leave would have to sign off that they had been notified. 

EG Patch will continue to bring you updates in coming days. If you have some news about the hurricane, please share it here!