Irene Aftermath: Public School Openings Delayed

The aftermath of Hurricane Irene has run deep into Branford’s life. The opening of the town’s public schools, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed because most of Branford is still without power. But there were signs of hope. Late today power was restored along East Main Street so that hotels like the Holiday Inn could function again.

Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez told the Eagle he does not know precisely what day schools will open, but will have an update Tuesday.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” Hernandez said. ​“Once the community recovers and power is restored we’ll be in a better position to start school.” He said notices will be posted on the town and school websites. 

All over Branford, the clean-up was underway. About 25 homes were severely damaged by the hurricane and hundreds of trees were down. First Selectman Unk DaRos met with town department heads at police headquarters to discuss the next steps. Town Hall was without power and telephone service. 

After the meeting DaRos told the Eagle that full power restoration might take days.

The next issue is food. Food in refrigerators is about to go bad, he said. He said it’s lucky that nearby towns have power and residents can shop there. East Haven and North Haven were functioning.

Everyone was complaining about the loss of communication via cell phone and internet. ​“Technology is great,” DaRos said, ​“except when it fails.

Power was still out through West Main Street, but over the line in East Haven some sections had power, including gas stations which were doing a brisk business. There were long lines at the pump. At Branford’s Big Y supermarket, the store was open but in semi-darkness. The store had lost its cooler and freezer stock, a store official said. All the fast food stores were closed on West Main, leaving many scrambling for their morning java fix. Wal-Mart and Kohl’s were also shuttered.

Where to restore power first was the top priority for town and police officials. The plan was to get power first to Route 1, from one end to the other, so that stores may reopen. This would include Town Hall and the Main Street areas. 

Power crews from Connecticut Light & Power, along with the town’s road crews will head tomorrow for Route 142, where Hospice and Branford Hills health facilities are located. Also in line is the Monastery of the Glorious Cross, home to a nunnery. All have been without power since Sunday morning. Earlier in the day power was restored to several senior residences in town.

“We were fortunate. We have no reported injuries,” said Police Capt. Geoffrey Morgan. ​“What is very important to us is to remind people not go near any downed power lines. Do not touch them. Presume they are still alive. And please do not drive, wade or swim in any water areas,” he said. 

The nearby towns of Guilford and Madison were all without power, including cell phone and internet connections.

As a sunny day broke, the town’s public works department deployed men into the field to determine the extent of the damage. The results were much worse than anticipated. 

By noon today, the police and public works reported that there were 152 trees and wired down throughout the town. Hardest hit were areas in Pine Orchard where roads corroded from below. Beckett Avenue in Short Beach was underwater until this morning.

Speaking from the emergency operations center at Police Headquarters, Capt. Morgan reported significant amounts of road erosion, particularly in Pine Orchard. He said 25 homes along the shore line, from Short Beach to Stony Creek, were damaged, ​“some very severely.”

Michael Pascucilla, the director of health for the East Shore Health Department, said all beaches are officially closed. ​“People should not go into water until further notice.” He also urged resident to take precautions against the West Nile Virus, which has been found in shoreline communities this year.

Given the overall impact and the damage created by Irene, DaRos said ​“we did alright.” He praised the enormous effort of town employees, especially police, fire and public works departments. ​“They have done an amazing job. “

Sally E. Bahner and Diana Stricker contributed reporting for this story

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