Gov. Malloy: Expect 'extensive and long-term power outages' in Connecticut in wake of historic storm (video/slideshow)
William Kaempffer, Register Staff
Oct. 30, 2011 Updated: July 28, 2017 2:28 a.m.
Andy Curello assesses the impact of Saturday's storm on his mother-in-law's house on Eramo Terrace in Hamden Sunday afternoon. Curello, who lives next to her, is without power and water. Peter Hvizdak / Register October 30, 2011 ph2397 Connecticut
Gov. Dannel Malloy called Winter Storm Alfred "an historic storm" whose heavy, wet snow downed trees and power lines that created the largest number of power outages in the state's history, surpassing even Tropical Storm Irene two months ago.
"Never before in anyone's recollection or in history has such a storm hit the state so early," Malloy said Sunday morning. "This is the largest number of power outages that we have ever experienced."
Residents can call 2-1-1 for shelter information. Planet Fitness announced Sunday that it would open its clubs to members and non-members who need use showers and locker rooms, for free. Residents can find club sites online.
For those without power In Hamden, Mayor Scott Jackson announced the Ridge Road Fire Station, 421 Hartford Turnpike, at the intersection of Ridge Road and Hartford Turnpike, is available to citizens in need of a warming station or place to recharge electronic devices. In addition, a partial emergency operations center (EOC) has been activated at Central Dispatch, 203-230-4000.
Clean up is ongoing Sunday in New Haven, where the storm brought down more than 75 tress, city spokesman Adam Joseph said. Residents with heat issues can call 203-946-6316, he said.
In East Haven, where Irene devastated a beach community with a storm surge that sent houses out to sea, Alfred had minimal impact along the shore.
Fire Department Battalion Chief Eileen Parlato said most of the problems, such as trees on wires and houses and fender benders, happened in the north end of town.
"Nothing catastrophic. I think it could have been worse," she said.
"Assessments are taking place but I will be straight up with everyone: We are going to have extensive and long-term power outages and I'm advised that, at least initially, it looks like some people could be without power for as much as a week."
A post-storm recap: Along the shoreline, Alfred dropped one to three inches of snow. Inland totals ranged from seven to 14 inches. In the higher elevations, snowfall topped 20 inches.
"And it's not even November yet," the governor said.
Connecticut Light & Power warned customers to "prepare for the worst-case scenario" with outages, for some, lasting a week or more with more than 750,000 of its 1.2 million customers in the dark and a heavily damaged infrastructure.
United Illuminating, which covers the south-central part of the state where snowfall and line damage was much less severe, estimated customers would be restored by the end of Monday. Just 18,000 of the utility's 319,000 customers were in the dark.
Many of the shoreline towns most impacted by Irene were largely spared by Alfred. Four percent of East Haven had no power. Less than one percent of West Haven had no power. In Branford, it was 3 percent.
But Guilford and Madison it was 31 percent and 23 percent respectively. And in some parts of the state, those residents would be considered lucky. In Cheshire, 97 percent of the town had no electricity.
Moving to the Massachusetts border: The towns of Norfolk, Hartland, Suffield, Enfield, Somers, Stafford, and Union had no power at all.
At Bradley Airport, the state delivered 900 cots for stranded travelers, a total that left many still sleeping on the floor, and authorities was distributing food and water. Today, 17 flights are scheduled to depart but 26 others already have been canceled. Malloy's advice to people with scheduled departures to be "on the phone, if you have a phone," with the airline.
Indeed, phone service, even with wireless carriers, was not guaranteed. AT&T Wireless had 152 cell towers down.
And Alfred, to be sure, added a new dimension to the misery of people who endured Irene two months ago: The cold.
Temperatures are expected to dip into the 20s tonight, so residents without heat can expect their homes to be dangerously cold tonight. Malloy said 27 warming shelters have been opened across the state and that his administration would coordinate with local governments to open more as needed. He urged people to us them.
One bright note is that Malloy said the Wilbur Cross and Merit parkways, closed Saturday because of concerns about falling trees and limbs, would reopen by 11 a.m. today (Sunday).
But projections from CL&P President and Chief operating Officer Jeffrey Butler were pessimistic.
He acknowledged that customers "are facing a huge challenge" from the damage from Alfred and that power crews Sunday remained in the "assessment" and "make safe and road opening" mode, not yet ready to begin large-scale restoration.
A top priority is getting 42 downed main transmission lines, which crippled 15 substations. The hope was that some customers would have power restored once the transmission lines were back on line.
"I am not in a position to give restoration times because quite honestly we have not had the ability through the weather last night to get out and assess the damage through our service territory. We do know there is an extensive amount of damage," said Butler, estimating some people could be without power for a week and longer in outlying areas.
"It's going to be, given the sheer magnitude of damage, it is going to be a lengthy restoration process."
New Haven's spokesman Joseph said: "high winds and wet snow brought down more than 75 trees citywide resulting in scattered power outages. The Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees have deployed crews across the city to clear streets of downed trees and storm debris."
The city is coordinating efforts with United Illuminating to restore power to affected residents, he said,.
New Haven residents should bring to the curb branches brought down by the storm so that DPW crews, over the next weeks, can remove the debris, Joseph said.
New Haven residents should contact 203-946-6316 to report downed trees and or wires.