Shelter-in-place.
It’s a phrase we all might get to learn first hand as Hurricane Irene comes a‑calling tonight and Sunday. It means staying put during the worst of the storm and that’s what emergency officials are advising residents in Connecticut.
The Valley Indy will try to keep you informed on what’s happening Saturday night and Sunday. We’ll post information in a live chat we’ve had running for three days. In addition, we’ll post information on Twitter — and especially Facebook, where we encourage you to do the same.
During a press conference on the hurricane at 4 p.m. in Hartford, Gov. Dannel Malloy specifically mentioned flooding along the entire Housatonic River as an area of concern for the state.
DERBY
To that end, Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri declared a state of emergency and ordered a mandatory evacuation of McConney’s Grove, a low-lying, tight-knit community on the shores of the Housatonic River.
Derby officials stressed Saturday that the evacuation order pertains to McConney’s Grove only.
Derby officials, including Charles Sampson, the city’s director of the Office of Emergency Management, were talking to McConney residents Friday, urging them to find another place to ride the storm out.
But McConney residents are a hearty bunch — they took the last major flooding there with a smile and a full breakfast — and Sampson said some residents are opting to stay in house while Irene hits.
In addition, the mayor has ordered all non-essential vehicles to remain off Derby roads from 11 p.m. Saturday until the storm passes.
The Derby temporary storm shelter is at Derby Middle School. It was scheduled to open Saturday at 8 p.m.
It is a basic shelter — about 20 cots in all, Sampson told the Valley Indy.
“It will be a temporary shelter until it is safe for them to return to their homes or they can be taken to a state facility,” Sampson said.
The Bradley School, at 155 David Humphrey Road, is a secondary shelter.
It will open if the middle school is full — or if road closures divide Derby’s east and west sides.
Residents are urged to stay in their homes for shelter, according to multiple reverse 911 calls sent out by the city.
Derby police closed the parking lot at Derby City Hall at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday. The building is serving as a command center.
Derby Shelton Info Derby Middle School, 10 Nutmeg Ave.
SHELTON
In Shelton, the town’s shelter at Shelton High School at 120 Meadow St. opened at 5 p.m.
Residents of the Maples — a neighborhood on the banks of the Housatonic River near Indian Well State Park — were under a mandatory evacuation by 6 p.m. Saturday.
Shelton’s Emergency Management Director John Millo said the neighborhood appeared to be complying with the order.
“If residents don’t evacuate, we won’t be able to rescue them,” Millo said.
Millo’s words were echoed all over the state — if Irene is as bad as her potential, there could be delays in responding to fire, police and ambulance calls during the worst of the storm.
Once the tropical storm winds come in, the fire department is putting its trucks and crews inside fire departments to protect them and won’t be able to respond to low-lying areas to rescue people from their homes, Millo said.
“This is not a light storm. It’s got a lot of punch behind it,” Millo said. “It would not be wise to stay in place.”
No other mandatory evacuations were put in place in Shelton, but Millo advised anyone who normally gets flooding during storms to consider relocating to higher ground.
The Shelton High School shelter can accommodate pets, but owners must bring a kennel and food for the animals.
Millo said the city’s emergency response headquarters is located at Shelton City Hall. Some officials are there already, and he expected the center to be in full force at about 10 p.m., through the morning for the worst of the storm.
Shelton shelter info: Shelton High School, 120 Meadow St., Shelton. The shelter opened at 5 p.m. Saturday. Residents can bring pets with them if they have a kennel and food for the animals.
ANSONIA
Ansonia plans to open two emergency shelters at 11 p.m.
The primary shelter is at Ansonia High School, but residents with pets can go to a shelter at Mead School.
Residents who need shelter are encouraged to bring blankets, pillows and other emergency supplies needed for a short-term stay.
Any residents with pets at Mead School will need to bring a kennel and food for the pets.
The city opened its command center at 6 p.m.
The city has manned its five fire houses and ambulance corps, and Public Works crews are on stand-by to respond to situations. The police department will have overlapping shifts through Monday.
A representative from United Illuminating will also be in town during the storm, according to a press release issued by the Emergency Management team.
The city is also monitoring the levels of the Naugatuck River.
Ansonia shelter info: Ansonia High School, 20 Pulaski Highway. City hasn’t determined when it will open the shelter yet. No pets.
A second shelter at Mead Elementary School, 75 Ford St. will accommodate domestic pets. Residents must provide kennel and food for any animals brought to this shelter.
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ANSONIA Hurricane Irene Update 8 – 27-11
SEYMOUR
In Seymour, First Selectman Paul Roy said there have been no evacuations along his town’s part of the Housatonic River.
However, if that does become an issue, emergency workers will help accommodate those residents.
Residents whose basements become flooded during the height of the storm should know that the fire department will help pump them out as soon as possible, but not during the height of the storm.
All police, public works and emergency workers are scheduled to go on storm preparedness duty at 7 p.m., to stick with the conditions as they develop through the night.
The peak of the storm is expected at 11 a.m., Roy said.
Seymour shelter info: The shelter is Seymour Middle School, 211 Mountain Road.
OXFORD
In Oxford, Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said that by 5 p.m., all emergency shelter supplies the town has were on standby, ready to be set up, at the main shelter facility, the Oxford High School, at 61 Quaker Farms Road.
He said there were cots, blankets, towels and other creature comforts enough to accommodate 100 people, although the shelter is capable of taking in a total of 200.
He expected to assess the damage and whether the shelter should be open.
People who live along low-lying areas of the Housatonic River in Oxford have left, the fire chief said.
The overnight public works and emergency crews were scheduled to go on duty at 11 p.m., to work throughout the night and be on standby as the storm develops.
Oxford shelter info: Oxford High School, at 61 Quaker Farms Road.
