In Seymour, seniors at the Seymour Housing Authority properties lost power along with most of the rest of the town. The power was restored to the properties by 4:15 p.m. Monday.
For a while there, it was a concern, because there are seven seniors on oxygen and several need their insulin to be chilled in a refrigerator, according to David Keyser, the housing authority director.
A generator at the newer building, assisted living facility Smithfield Gardens, was providing enough power to keep the food cooler going to store medications and keep food. There was lighting and some power in common areas too, he said.
The other buildings are older, built in the 1970s, without backup generators.
Food was being cooked at Smithfield Gardens, and Keyser said seniors living at the other properties could go there to eat breakfast and dinner. TEAM was bringing lunches the seniors can purchase.
Until the power was restored, the housing authority was working with the Seymour Ambulance Association for medical needs, Keyser said.
He said the housing authority will think of ways to be better prepared for any future power outages, such as having more flashlights on hand.
The seniors at the Callahan House had a cook-out Monday afternoon, grilling up anything that was thawing from their freezers. And, the Callahan House was planning a picnic next weekend, so they cooked up that food Monday ahead of schedule.
They used one of the common outlets with generator power to brew up several pots of coffee for the 82 residents there, according to William “Poppie” Rosa.
Rosa flipped hundreds of burgers and served up hot dogs to seniors sitting outside Monday afternoon.
“It’s all the stuff in our freezers,” Rosa said. “Everybody brought stuff down.”
