Branford Readies For Irene

First Selectman Unk DaRos said today that a police boat will alert scores of residents in the Thimble Islands tomorrow (Saturday) morning to evacuate their homes because emergency boats will not be able to help them once Hurricane Irene arrives. They stay at their peril, he warned. 

To emphasize the severity of this storm, he reiterated that if Thimble Island residents do not heed police warnings, they will not be evacuated later on. ​“They should leave notification of next of kin on the front door, ​“he said. Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said the police and fire boats will go from island to island to notify residents. ​“There is always someone who wants to stay,” he observed. 

Branford is as ready as she can be for Hurricane Irene, a strong, wide storm whose impact is expected to be severe in coastal communities. The town and the police department have outlined steps to prepare for a hurricane emergency. Click here to read the information. Click here for hurricane prep tips.

“We are a lot more vulnerable today than we were in 1954,” DaRos told the Eagle in an interview earlier today. Why? ​“The trees are a lot older and heavier, the foliage is still on the trees and is very heavy and the ground is very wet.”

DaRos has met with department heads twice this week and he plans a live television program on the town’s cable channel, BCTV, this afternoon to talk to residents directly about the upcoming storm. The local BCTV cable program, channel 20 in Branford, will be repeated throughout the next two days. With him will be Lt. Raymond Dunbar, the police department’s emergency management director, Kevin Halloran, the new police chief, Jack Ahern, the Fire Chief and Art Baker, the head of the public works department. DaRos and Capt. Morgan sent hurricane related messages to residents throughout town yesterday.

DaRos said he plans to tell the public not to use 911 ​“unless it is an absolute emergency. What people need to do is think things through. Remain calm. I want people to be here so that we can talk about Hurricane Irene years from now.”

He said the hurricane he remembers most was the one in 1954. He was referring to Hurricane Edna, a Category 3 hurricane with high winds in the 100 mph area. The worst hurricane to strike New England in modern times was the hurricane of 1938 , a strong Category 3 hurricane whose winds measured over 180 mph. The 1938 storm killed over 600 people. 

So far DaRos has not issued any other emergency orders to evacuate homes along the low-lying flood plain areas. But he did say that residents who live in flood plain areas must consider evacuation plans.
 
In the event of a mandatory evacuation, shelters will open, he said. In the past police have found that residents might use shelters after a hurricane if they were without power and water for awhile. Mary T. Murphy Elementary School is being readied for service because this school is outside the flood plain. The Murphy school will also take families with pets as long as the pets are in cages. There are 50 animal cages at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter for residents to use. 

DaRos said the public works department had cleaned storm drains in recent days and that the Fire Department and its volunteer stations will be open this weekend. The town’s emergency operation will be run out of the police department on Laurel St.
 
For those on low lying ground, DaRos suggested: ​“go to higher ground. Move in for a few days with friends and family.” He said ​“roads will be impassable and in some areas they will be submerged. There will be delays and outages are probable.”

Meanwhile, there were long lines at the town dock off Goodsell Point Road Friday morning. Lots of people were there to pick up their boats. A back-up was evident. (See photo.)

The marinas were also busy Friday morning. There are thousands of boats moored along the Branford coast, the longest town seashore on the coast and many are housed at marinas.

Ed Vianney, Construction Manager at Bruce and Johnson’s Marina, held a ​“come-along” tool. It is used for bolting overhead doors in buildings housing boats.

The boats are taken out by travel lifts, the smaller one holds 15 tons, and the larger one holds 50 tons.

Some people took their boats out of the water, hooked them up to the back of their vehicle and later placed them on their front lawn. These were photographed on the corner of Reynolds Ave and Bryan Rd.

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