08/26/11 First Selectman Peter Tesei: Greenwich residents in low-lying areas should evacuate by sunset Saturday

Residents of low-lying areas of Greenwich who have ever experienced flooding are strongly urged to reach higher ground Saturday before the arrival of Hurricane Irene.

The Greenwich First Selectman announced today.

Though there are no forced evacuations in place, First Selectman Peter Tesei wants residents in vulnerable areas out of their homes by sunset Saturday.

The announcement came during a press briefing at Town Hall this afternoon, when First Selectman Tesei also said town parking restrictions will be eased as of noon Saturday to allow people to park cars at higher ground.

The storm, threatening to be the first hurricane to make a direct hit on the state in 20 years, was forecast to make landfall in New England on Sunday, although the first bands of rain could lash the region beginning Saturday.

Town and state officials warned it was likely to cause prolonged power outages and flooding in low-lying areas along the shoreline, where residents were rushing to protect property.

The forecasts Friday placed the storm's track through central parts of Connecticut, then north into central Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service. But Irene could nudge as far west as western Long Island and western Connecticut, or as far east as Rhode Island.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy: "This is perhaps the most serious climate event in state history since 1938."

Governor Malloy was making reference to that year's unnamed hurricane that brought 17-foot storm surges and caused 600 deaths.

Governor Malloy, who declared a state of emergency Thursday, urged anyone living in areas that have flooded in the past to seek shelter elsewhere. He said the state was drawing up plans to evacuate low-lying urban areas from Greenwich to New Haven if needed. He said there also were plans to close both the Merritt and Wilbur Cross highways over concerns about the potential for flooding and falling trees.

If the storm hits the state while still at hurricane strength, it would be the first hurricane-level storm to hit Connecticut since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. That storm brought winds of more than 80 mph, causing widespread damage.

In 1999, Hurricane Floyd, though downgraded to tropical storm severity by the time it reached Connecticut created widespread flooding in Greenwich and crippled the town for several days.