Waterford Begins Preparations for Hurricane Sandy

The town of Waterford has begun taking precautions for the possibility of Hurricane Sandy hitting Connecticut sometime next week.

First Selectman Dan Steward told the Public Works Department to clean out the storm drains along the road and has begun talking with the Red Cross and Connecticut Light and Power.  Steward said he is talking with the Red Cross to set up a regional emergency shelter,  as last year during Tropical Storm Irene, Waterford’s emergency shelter was East Lyme Middle School. 

The Category Two hurricane has already killed two people in the Caribbean and meterologists say it could  hit the northeast by the next week, according to the Huffington Post.  The Associated Press reports that this could be a more devasting storm than the 1991 "Perfect Storm" that caused $200 million of damage to the coast of New England. 

"The Perfect Storm only did $200 million of damage and I'm thinking a billion," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private service Weather Underground, according to the Associated Press. "Yeah, it will be worse."

Steward encouraged residents to monitor the weather reports and follow the towns emergency management Facebook page (click here to follow).  He said he will continue to update the public as more information becomes available.

In a recent talk to seniors on emergency preparedness, Waterford Police Chief and Director of Emergency Management Murray Pendelton encouraged all residents to have a hurricane pack.  Pendelton said the pack should have enough supplies for a resident to go three days without power, and should include items, such as, batteries, flashlights, bottled water and important and emergency numbers, among other things. 

Patch will continue to follow Hurricane Sandy and its impact on Waterford. To see what the state is doing to prepare, click here.