Cheshire Officials Prepare as Hurricane Sandy Approaches

Even though it is still unclear what the impact Hurricane Sandy will have on Connecticut, municipal leaders in Cheshire are already making preparations in case the storm makes impact.

“After last year’s storms, we had two major debriefing sessions and we put together what we thought was a more thorough response to these emergency situations,” said Town Manager Michael Milone.

Cheshire, like the majority of towns in Connecticut, reacted to last year’s Tropical Storm Irene and October snowstorm by beefing up emergency response and putting into place systems on how to deal with challenges like off-season devastating storms.

Now, with Sandy potentially hitting Connecticut as it travels up the East Coast Milone says Cheshire is reviewing its emergency plans and reminding town departments, like the police and fire officials, to be prepared. He said town officials are assembling the list of emergency contacts for the town, and is doing check-ins on generators and Public Works vehicles.

“One of the things (Public Works) is going to do is make sure all of the drains are not blocked so that any run off gets in there quickly,” Milone said.

In terms of bringing in extra road crews or contractors to help in any potential clean-up, Milone said officials are holding off until they know any potential impact.

“At this point we don’t have to, but we have all those lists prepared and numbers readily available,” he said. “Calling them today or calling them Monday isn’t going to make much of a difference.”

How the School is Handling the Storm

“Well, we’re hoping it’s moving away from us,” joked Superintendent Greg Florio when first asked about the school’s preparations on the storm.

Florio said the school district is keeping an eye on the storm and, with the practice earned under last year’s extreme weather, may implement the school’s emergency call system in case any information has to get out about potential school closures.

Any decision would be made either the day before or the morning of the storm, depending on the confidence of Sandy hitting the area, Florio said.

“Given the uncertainty, it all would depend on the track,” he said.

All through the local media, including Cheshire Patch, will be notified about any closure and the information will be posted on the school district’s website.

Where to Find Shelter in Cheshire

There is one primary shelter in Cheshire:

Cheshire Youth Center, 559 South Main St.

If there is overflow, then residents are sent to:

Cheshire High School, 525 South Main St.