Satellite imagery from The National Weather Service.
Eversource, the electric company covering Oxford and Seymour locally, issued a press release Saturday afternoon saying Hurricane Henri could cause power outages in Connecticut that last anywhere from eight to 21 days.
The news was met with disbelief by a few Valley Indy Facebook readers.
“So since weeks of no power after Hurricane Gloria in 1985, our Electric Company has not made any advances?! Terrific!!,” Debra LaQuay posted.
Eversource said the estimate was based “on multiple weather forecasts and UConn’s Outage Prediction Modeling.” The forecast and the modeling show Henri bringing high winds and heavy rain, along with a dangerous surge along the coast. The ground is already saturated with water from recent rain, and branches are heavy with leaves.
All of that is a perfect recipe for busted power lines from falling trees and branches. More than 90 percent of power outages in Connecticut are “tree related,” according to Eversource.
“This means that of the roughly 1.25 million Eversource electric customers in Connecticut, between 50 and 69 percent could lose power and restoration efforts could last between eight and 21 days,” the company said in a statement that went to the media at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Eversource says it is getting ready for a storm that will bring “significant, widespread damage” to the state. The company urged customers to be prepared and directed the public to its storm-prep web page.
During a press conference Saturday, Gov. Ned Lamont also said prolonged power outages are probable after Henri.
“While Connecticut has certainly seen its share of bad weather, Henri is shaping up to be the first direct hit of a hurricane on the state in more than 30 years,” Lamont said. “I urge everyone in Connecticut to take this storm seriously. Prepare to shelter in place Sunday and into early Monday morning. Plan for power outages that could last for an extended period.”
Many people in Connecticut — including the government on the state and local level — were spitting mad at Eversource last year because of extended power outages in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of Seymour during Isaias, told The Valley Indy at the time there was a complete lack of communication from the utility company during that storm.
The Seymour Board of Selectmen condemned the utility company’s response during a meeting on Aug. 11 of last year.
Seymour wasn’t alone, as towns across the state complained, and Eversource has been on the political hot seat at the state capital ever since. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal issued a statement Saturday morning indicating he has not forgotten.
“Eversource’s recent statements purport to show that it is preparing for the hurricane by staging crews that can respond to power outages,” Blumenthal said in the statement. “While I am pleased that Eversource claims to have learned lessons from the past failings, I will be watching their actions closely. Connecticut’s people and businesses should have power restored quickly and reliably and deserve clear, accurate information promptly and accessibly. Local and state officials deserve truthful, timely communication.”
The Valley Indy texted Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis Saturday night asking if Eversource has been communicating with the town in advance of Hurricane Henri.
“Eversource has been on every communication call/meeting. They have resources ready and available,” Drugonis said in a message. “As they have stated in all their publications, with the heavy winds, they are expecting widespread power outages. The (Seymour) Emergency Management team will have an Eversource resource available to them as well as have the capability of reporting outages down trees, blocked roads and power outages directly to Eversource via the Eversource portal. They have stressed that they will not have workers out in the storm to restore power (for safety reasons). They will begin clearing and restoring power once it is safe for their employees,” she said.
Preparation Continued Saturday
The initial impacts from Hurricane Henri are expected to be felt Sunday morning. Until then …
“Right now, it’s been hurry up and wait,” Derby Fire Department Chief David Lenart told The Valley Indy Saturday afternoon.
Lenart said the city’s fire companies would be staffed by 8 p.m. Saturday in advance of Hurricane Henri. A conference call meeting of emergency officials is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday. There was one held Saturday morning as well.
(Left to right) Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan and Derby Fire Chief David Lenart.
The Derby Office of Emergency Management in Derby City Hall was expected to be activated at some point.
A post on Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan’s Facebook page Saturday said a state of emergency would be declared soon in Derby and filed with the state. Doing so qualifies the town for financial reimbursement, should it be needed.
Dziekan’s post also listed three regional emergency shelters:
North Branford Intermediate School 245 Foxon Road, North Branford
Career High School 140 Legion Ave., New Haven
Geraldine Johnson High School 475 Lexington Ave., in Bridgeport (opening Sunday at 6 a.m., according to the post).
Chief Lenart said the fire department has been in constant contact with the mayor, and that police and public works are all communicating with each other. Lenart said the city reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the flood gates along the Housatonic River downtown — just in case.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, Hurricane Henri was about 270 miles south of Montauk Point on Long Island. It had sustained winds of 75 mph and was heading north at about 18 mph. Its impact will be felt Sunday morning, with the worst of it in the afternoon into the evening.
“Although some weakening is expected prior to landfall on Sunday, Henri is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the coasts of Long Island and southern New England,” according to a public advisory issued at 8 p.m. by the National Hurricane Center.
A local statement 5:30 p.m. from the National Weather Service stressed that Hurricane Henri, while a category 1 hurricane (74 mph to 95 mph), poses a serious, potential threat to people living in the area. Three to six inches of rain is predicted, along with heavier, localized downpours that will cause flash flooding.
According to the National Weather Service, the wind gusts could be strong enough to cause:
From a Saturday evening statement from The National Weather Service.
- Considerable roof damage to sturdy buildings, with some having window, door, and garage door failures leading to structural damage.
- Mobile homes severely damaged, with some destroyed.
- Damage accentuated by airborne projectiles. Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks.
- Many large trees snapped or uprooted along with fences and roadway signs blown over.
- Some roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. Several bridges, causeways, and access routes impassable.
- Large areas with power and communications outages.
Those are potential impacts — not guaranteed.
Residents throughout Ansonia, Derby and Seymour seemed to be taking the hurricane seriously Saturday.
Some shelves were bare at the Derby Shop-Rite on Pershing Drive, where Gatorade was a big seller. Gas stations in Ansonia and Derby did constant business, with people filling up cars and gas containers. The noise from people testing generators could be heard along Derby’s Hawthorne Avenue. The Seymour Fire Marshal’s Office reminded people to treat disabled traffic lights as stop signs. U.S. flags were taken inside for safe keeping. Outdoor furniture was relocated or tied down. People used Facebook community pages to convey information, such as where to get flash lights.
There was no Gatorade available at the ShopRite in Derby Saturday afternoon.
Chief Lenart of the Derby Fire Department noted that United Illuminating, the utility company covering Ansonia, Derby and Shelton, has been communicating with the city in advance of the storm. The company put out a status report Friday.
“UI’s teams are coordinating with our town and city partners throughout the service territory and will remain in close contact throughout Henri to quickly and safely clear roads, address municipal restoration priorities and restore power to customers,” the utility company said in a prepared statement Friday. “Additionally, UI is reaching out to residential customers with critical medical conditions who rely on electric power to ensure they have access to necessary resources. Customers who have these needs and have not alerted the company are urged to please call UI as soon as possible at 800.722.5584 (800.7.CALL.UI).
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti issued a Code Red message to residents Saturday noting a back-to-school event scheduled for Sunday had been canceled.
He also echoed an important message Gov. Ned Lamont mentioned during a 4 p.m. press conference Saturday — STAY HOME.
“Henri is predicted to begin to impact our City around 8am Sunday and will intensify Sunday afternoon and evening. The storm is expected to exit our area Sunday night into Monday. Restoration of power and clearing of debris will likely begin early Monday morning. The Ansonia Emergency Operations Center consisting of all departments has been meeting and will open at 8:00am on Sunday morning,” Cassetti said.
“All events including Valley Save Our Youth Back to School Rally have been canceled. That event will take place Wednesday August 25th from 3pm-8pm at the ACCA building on 4 Fourth Street.”
“All residents are encouraged to stay home and shelter in place during the storm. Please don’t forget to check on elderly or disabled neighbors with a call.”
“My Office has requested a UI representative remain in our EOC for the duration of the Storm.”
“Please remember residents should report Power Outages to UI at 1 – 800-722‑5584, only call the Police Station or 911 if it is an emergency. UI estimates that power restoration may take days, so please prepare yourself to be at home with no electricity. If you see downed lines or trees, do not touch them, report the incident and allow a professional to make sure the lines are not live.”
“Please know that all city departments are doing everything they can to keep you safe.”
“Remember if you need to contact me, please call my Office at 203 736‑5900 and follow the prompts for the Mayor’s Office. Stay safe, God Bless you and your families and remember we will get through this together.”
LOCAL STORM RESOURCES
Click here for live, constantly updated Hurricane Henri posts from Twitter
Click here for a live online emergency scanner
United Illuminating
Outage list: https://bit.ly/3B2bHfG
Sign up for UI Outage Alerts. Text “REG” to 839884 (TEXT-UI) to receive free text alerts if you lose service, along with for restoration updates.
Visit uinet.com for additional alert options.
Customers are encouraged to download the UI app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
To report an outage visit https://www.uinet.com/wps/portal/uinet/myaccount/outages/reportorstatus or call 800.722.5584
Eversource
Report an outage by visiting https://outage.eversource.com/#/
Report an outage by calling 800 – 286-2000
Eversource outage map https://outagemap.eversource.com/external/default.html
Sign up to receive outage alerts: https://www.eversource.com/content/ct‑c/residential/outages/storm-preparedness/outage-alerts-text-reporting
Learn more here: https://www.eversource.com/content/ct‑c/residential/outages/storm-preparedness/during-a-storm
Comcast
Report a Comcast outage by texting OUT to 266278 (COMCST)
Visit this link for more: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/report-issues-xfinity-services
CT 211
Henri resources https://uwc.211ct.org/tropical-storm/
