Community Corner

Town, Residents, Animal Advocates Prepare for Irene

All across town, residents, government officials and others were preparing for Hurricane Irene.

In Shady Rest, Dennis Pedersen was testing out his generator while Bill Deimel was securing his father's boat and other belongings.

In the Municipal Center, First Selectman Pat Llodra held meetings with emergency responders to make sure they were ready for the impending hurricane.

And in another part of town, Monica Roberto, of The Animal Center, was coordinating with the Newtown Veterinary Center to provide emergency shelter for cats and dogs if it became necessary.

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Clearly the motto of the day was to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

"I'm just hoping the media's wrong," Pedersen said of the hurricane predictions.

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Hurricane Irene is expected to arrive by Sunday morning though the stormy weather may move into the area by Saturday afternoon.

The Emergency Operations Center was expected to have opened by then, First Selectman Pat Llodra said.

A trailer of supplies had been brought to the high school, cots and other supplies were being stored at the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department while a trailer of additional commodities was headed toward the high school on Saturday.

With a possibility of 5 to 10 inches by the end of Sunday, according to the weather service, Llodra said sandbags were being placed in certain areas with more being prepared to help combat flooding.

Crews from the town Department of Public Works also were being called in Saturday afternoon and will stay on call until the end of the storm, Llodra said. The workers are needed on hand to help clear the roads in case trees and other debris end up blocking roadways, she said.

If necessary, the town also will open a shelter up at the high school with Reed Intermediate School as the backup. The town won't open the shelter until evacuations become necessary, Llodra said. In the past, when the town has opened up shelters, residents have typically not use them, favoring to stay with friends and relatives instead. (Call the town Emergency Communications Center at 203-270-4200 to inquire about the shelter)

Meanwhile, pet owners also will have a resource to turn to if they have to evacuate and don't have a place for their cats and dogs. Newtown residents displaced from their home by the storm may contact Roberto at 203-313-4814 to arrange for their pets to be sheltered at the Newtown Veterinary Center.

Ample food, water and staff will be on hand to care for the animals, Roberto said.

While no mandatory evacuations or orders were in place in the town, use of all fields, parks and functions were canceled as of noon Saturday until further notice, municipal officials said.

Residents in low-lying areas can expect to see flooding in their homes.

Some interviewed said they had no immediate plans to evacuate, though that might be a possibility, said Deimel, who lives in Southbury but has a father who lives in Shady Rest.

"It's too early; it's not critical yet," Deimel said. "We'll see."

Editor's note: Also refer to .


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