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FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — The worst of Hurricane Sandy will lash the state from 3 p.m. Monday to 3 a.m. Tuesday, with the gravest concerns for communities along the Fairfield County coastline, Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a news conference broadcast Monday morning.
"I'm most concerned about the loss of life along the water," Malloy said. "Power outages are likely to occur throughout the state if we hit the wind numbers."
The National Weather Service is warning of gusts of 80 mph along the coast and 75 mph inland in Fairfield County through 6 p.m. Tuesday. Sustained winds could hit 50 mph along the coast and 40 mph inland.
The Weather Service is also warning of flooding and heavy rain throughout the region.
Evacuations have been ordered in coastal communities from Greenwich to Bridgeport. The storm surge at high tide at noon Monday will be higher than Irene, and the surge Monday at midnight will be worse, Malloy said.
Connecticut Light & Power was taking the drastic measure Monday morning of building an emergency concrete berm at its power station near the water in Stamford to prevent flood damage. The station powers south Stamford and much of downtown.
Any power outages caused by the wind will last a "long period of time," Malloy said.
Malloy also banned trucks on state highways. He said Bradley Airport in Hartford will close at 1 p.m. About 850 National Guard troops are in place to help the state deal with the storm.
Malloy called the storm "the most catastrophic event" residents will have faced in their lifetimes.
"It's dangerous out there and will only get more dangerous over the coming hours," he said. "Stay home."
Comments (6)
Well, apparently the Island Belle tore the docks out at Veterans Park ...and the Harbormaster wasn't even around to deal with it. He caught the last plane out of town as the storm was looming. Headed for a sunny beach as the storm of the century bore down on the situation he had helped create.
As for the barge - I volunteered in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. A barge that was heavily fastened to a cement post was lifted out of the water, floated over the power lines and landed 5 miles away in the middle of a cemetery! I saw and heard many, many horrible things during my 2 months there.
I am glad that CT is making advance preparations to help minimize the dangerous effects of the storm.
One suggestion: if you leave your house, take your pictures - nothing can restore them. Also medical scripts, divorce papers, etc. So many people in Mississippi cried over lost photos and did not know the name of their medication.
Stay safe!
Thanks to the tremendous foresight of our Harbormaster and Parks and Rec Director we now have a 3 story wind sail named the Island Belle tied up to a dock that is not designed to handle a boat that size in normal weather and we have the storm of the century bearing down on us. Heaven help those two if that great white barge breaks loose and takes out the bridge.
Maybe they should have run it aground at high tide. ;-)
It runs aground every low tide destroying oyster areas. May as well run it aground and turn it into a kiddy ride in Vets Park. The whole thing has been such a clown act.
"Monday morning of building an emergency concrete berm at its power station near the water in Stamford to prevent flood damage. The station powers south Stamford and much of downtown''
Really now? !! Not anytime in the past years to do this? Thinking ' oh it could never happen huh?