Update 2:10 p.m. Sunday
Saying no “concerning weather scenarios” are predicted here, the town is shutting down its Emergency Operations Center, New Canaan Emergency Management Director Russ Kimes said in a 2 p.m. town-wide outcall.
The EOC “will monitor conditions and forecasts and will re-activate if warranted,” Kimes said.
“Substantial rainfall is still expected but over the next several days,” he said.
New Canaan and all of lower Fairfield County remain under Tropical Storm and Storm Surge warnings, the National Weather Service said in a 12:22 p.m. update.
“The main threats from Henri continue to be heavy rain capable of producing flash flooding and river flooding, tropical storm force winds, and potentially life-threatening storm surge,” the NWS said.
Eversource was showing zero outages in New Canaan as of 2 p.m.
Update 10 a.m. Sunday
The National Weather Service on Sunday morning downgraded Henri to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
New Canaan and all of lower Fairfield County remain under Tropical Storm and Storm Surge warnings, the organization said.
“Widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is forecast in the path of Henri with localized higher amounts possible,” the Weather Service said. “The highest amounts are forecast to occur across Long Island and much of southern Connecticut.”
New Canaan Emergency Management Director Russ Kimes in a 9:30 a.m. town-wide outcall said the storm “is expected to bring very gusty winds and heavy rain to our area later today.”
“We encourage residents to stay off the roads,” Kimes said. “During periods of high winds and rain it is extremely dangerous due to falling trees and flooding.”
He added, “We remind you to not approach or walk over downed power lines. You should treat any downed wire as being live and energized. Also, do not drive through standing water.”
Original article published 6:42 p.m. Saturday
New Canaan is bracing for storm-force winds of up to 75 mph as Hurricane Henri strengthens and remains on course to strike eastern Connecticut on Sunday morning, officials say.
The town and all of lower Fairfield County are under Storm Surge and Tropical Storm Warnings from the National Weather Service, which is calling for “large areas with power and communications outages,” downed trees, impassable roads and structural damage to roofs and buildings, among other problems.
New Canaan Emergency Management Director Russ Kimes said in a town-wide outcall Saturday evening that the winds are likely to hit starting around 8 a.m. Sunday.
“We strongly encourage residents to finalize preparations for this major storm,” Kimes said. “Historically, power outages from tropical storms and hurricanes have lasted five to seven days or more after winds have subsided and Eversource crews can begin restoring service.”
Last August, a powerful tropical storm knocked out power in New Canaan for several days, prompting First Selectman Kevin Moynihan to criticize the utility company for its restoration efforts and call for improved communications during emergencies. Hundreds of those who had lost power last summer flocked to the library and Town Hall to use the Internet.
Eversource said in a press release Saturday that it 50% to 69% of the company’s customers could lose power and “restoration efforts could last between eight and 21 days.”
“With trees being the number one cause of power outages during storms and many of the state’s trees already weakened due to insects and saturated ground caused by recent storms – thousands of trees could come down during this hurricane, further complicating power restoration efforts,” the company said in the release.
Kimes said in the outcall that New Canaan’s Emergency Operations Center or “EOC” would activate at 8 a.m. Additional updates will be sent to residents via text and email through the town’s emergency communications system and Office of Emergency Management Facebook page.
“We are ready to stand up sheltering, if needed, as well as cooling and charging sites in town beginning Monday,” Kimes said.
“We remind you to not approach or walk over downed power lines,” he added. “You should treat any downed wire as being live and energized. Also, do not drive through standing water.”
Here’s a Google form for New Canaan businesses and organizations to fill in with any changes to normal hours of operation due to the storm:
Starting at 8 a.m. Sunday, the EOC hotline will be available to receive non-emergency calls at 203-594-4100. Residents should call 911 in case of emergencies, not the New Canaan Police Department’s general number.
Resources:
- Town of New Canaan Office of Emergency Management Facebook page.
- Eversource “Report an Outage” page online.
- National Hurricane Center.
NewCanaanite.com will update this article through Sunday into Monday.
“Storm” a pretty strong word. Drizzle Hub? Spritz & Gentle Breeze Hub?
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