Hurricane Info From First Selectman Tom Frenaye

Town Departments are planning for the arrival of Hurricane Irene on Sunday, and town residents should also prepare. A very good information source for suggestions is the Ready.gov Web site prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  Also check The Red Cross' Web site.

Current information suggests that Suffield will receive at least 6 inches of rain and sustained winds of 70 mph, and it could be a foot of rain and 100-plus mph winds, or both. Even at the low end of the scale, we will have stream and river flooding, trees down and power outages. The worst case could be significant damage and several days to a week without power. The main part of the storm is now forecast to arrive around midnight Saturday night, but understand that is more than two days from now and the timing and location of the worst effects may change.

If you anticipate drainage issues, the town has sand (but not sandbags) available to residents next to the Highway garage on Ffyler Place. The Highway Department is already checking drainage culverts and bridges to remove any blockages in anticipation of the expected heavy rainfall. You should check for drainage blockages on your own property as well.

Town emergency services departments have met to review emergency plans, and are coordinating with the State of Connecticut regarding available resources. The town's Emergency Operations Center will open on Friday.

Suffield's Emergency Shelter is located at Suffield High School on Sheldon Street and preparations are being made in case we need to open it. If you need to use the shelter, please bring clothing, medicines, and food for several days if possible. We will be able to accommodate pets as well as people.

Any power outages should be reported to Connecticut Light & Power at 800-286-2000 and 860-947-2000 or via CL&P's Web site.

As always, report emergencies via 911, and if you have more routine problems to report, contact Town Hall at 860-668-3838, the Police Department at 860-668-3870, Fire Department at 860-668-3888, Public Works at 860-668-3890 or Ambulance at 860-668-3881.

Tom Frenaye

First Selectman

860-668-3838