08/26/11 CT News Alert: Hurricane Watch Just Upgraded To Hurricane Warning

PHOTO: Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei Inspects The Flooded Area Of Sound Shore Drive In Cos Cob After A Previous Storm

GREENWICH ALERT: Hurricane warning In Effect

National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for shorline portions of Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties.

Irene Plus Rain, Wet Ground Equals Downed Trees, Wires Across Greenwich, Connecticut

This Just In ..... Gov. Malloy Says Merritt And Wilbur Cross Could Be Ordered Closed

Whether Irene is a hurricane or tropical storm when it reaches Greenwich beginning Saturday, heavy rains and high winds mean it will take a toll on trees and power lines.

Already saturated soil from previous rain storms makes the probability of trees falling even greater.

Falling trees will bring down power lines and bring power outages that could be days or longer.

The concern about falling trees is so great Governor Dannel P. Malloy said that the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways could be ordered closed as of midnight Saturday.

The roads also have low areas that can flood.

First Selectman Peter Tesei has also urged people to be in their homes or safe places by midnight Saturday.

Greenwich officials expect roads block by fallen trees, downed wires or flooding to slow emergency responses and to limit peoples' ability to get around. They are encouraging those who can to ride out the storm at home.

Greenwich DPW crews and utility company crews are readying equipment such as chainsaws to clear roads and begin restoring power.

Connecticut Light & Power warned that outages could last a week or more in some places.

Greenwich is aslso setting up shelters.

The Connecticut National Guard is readying equipment to clear roads and perform rescues in flooded areas.

Two hundred soldiers and airmen are being notified to report for duty Sunday morning, and another 500 could be called up Monday if they are needed.

Guard members already on duty are making sure tools such as chain saws and vehicles are ready to go.

Greenwich residents appear to be paying attention to calls to be prepared for the storm. Store shelves have been cleared of bottled water and D batteries, the most common for flashlights. Generator sales have been brisk too, and most retailers report being out of stock.

In Greenwich most water flow distribution is by gravity. Where pump stations are necessary, the water company has placed generators in case a back-up power supply is needed.

Storm preparations for Metro-North trains are already underway. Normal train service will continue through noon on Saturday, but will begin shutting down in advance of the anticipated arrival of the hurricane.

Friday morning, the National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch for areas north of Sandy Hook, N.J., including Long Island Sound, Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours, and applies to the town of Greenwich and Fairfield county.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties.

The National Weather Service said it's still too soon to make specific predictions about wind and surges, but five to 10 inches of rain is expected in Greenwich.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy, in addition to governors in New Jersey and New York, signed a declaration of emergency Thursday, calling it necessary to help the state react more quickly and effectively in the event of a serious weather event.

For safety reasons, Gov. Malloy has also ordered all state parks and campgrounds to close for the weekend. Campgrounds will close at noon on Saturday, and state parks will close at sunset Saturday. All will remain closed on Sunday.

Rain from the storm's outer bands will begin to fall on Greenwich Saturday afternoon.

Tropical force winds will begin to blow Saturday night.

President Obama, speaking from Martha's Vineyard, urged people in the path of the hurricane to prepare.

"I cannot stress this highly enough: If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now," said Obama, who is ending his vacation a day early to avoid the storm.

"Don't wait. Don't delay. We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst. All of us have to take this storm seriously. You need to listen to your state and local officials, and if you are given an evacuation order, please follow it. Just to underscore this point: We ordered an aircraft carrier group out to sea to avoid this storm yesterday. So if you're in the way of this hurricane, you should be preparing now."

The national association for Amateur Radio, which is headquartered in Newington, will be staffed continuously throughout the weekend aiding and monitoring the responses of ham radio emergency communications groups on the entire East Coast.

ARRL has formal service agreements with FEMA, DHS, National Weather Service/Skywarn, National Hurricane Center/NOAA, Red Cross, Salvation Army, state and municipal emergency management organizations.

Greenwich Roundup is a ham radio operator and will monitor transmissions for news that effect Greenwich.

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