An internal review conducted by the emergency officials concluded town officials should have used the “Code Red” emergency notification system during a severe rainstorm July 8.
The evening rush hour storm flooded Route 8, washed away parts of town roads and toppled utility wires. Cell phone service even went out during the storm. Click here for our report from that day.
Residents stuck in Route 8 traffic didn’t know what was happening. Many used the Valley Indy’s Facebook page as a source of info while the roads were under water.
Some complained the town should have activated the town’s emergency notification system after the storm to keep residents in the loop.
The Valley Indy first posed the Code Red question to town officials a few days after the storm.
First Selectman Paul Roy and Tom Eighmie, the town’s emergency management director, agreed.
“Unfortunately because of circumstances we didn’t use Code Red, but we try to make ourselves better,” Roy said.
The freakish storm kept Seymour busy. The fire department responded to 31 calls for service in about six hours.
Roy and emergency responders held a meeting July 13 to review the town’s response.
“Every storm is different, but given the circumstances, obviously, we would (use Code Red) if we had anything like that,” Roy said.
Eighmie has completed a situational report on the flood.
He said the flood shows the town needs to upgrade the communications console at the Seymour Police Department.
The 15-year-old console ties radio transmissions together from a variety of broadcast towers.
Eighmie had proposed replacing it earlier this year during the capital budget season, but voters rejected the five-year capital plan. The Board of Selectmen then made a $275,000 request for the console in the capital portion of the regular annual budget, but the Board of Finance did not put that request forward to voters.
“We will have to continue to press on and look to replace that console,” Eighmie said.
The storm also damaged Chatfield Park, which is owned by the town, and the Legion Pool, which is owned by the Seymour Land Trust Conservation.
Seymour will be teaming with Oxford to apply for storm-damage reimbursement. Seymour still doesn’t have an estimate.
Roy is still working on a letter to recruit volunteers to make repairs at the Legion Pool and the Joseph Nesteriak Memorial Nature Trail.
Alex Danka, vice president of the land trust, estimated his group’s land was damaged to the tune of $500,000 to $750,000.
If you want to volunteer to help at Legion Pool, call Danka at 203 – 881-3400.
