While there have only been five named storms this year, and no major hurricanes yet, the peak of hurricane season is quickly approaching. In preparation, agency commissioners and government partners from across the state gathered in Hartford today to make sure that Connecticut has a set plan in place in the event that a hurricane strikes New England.
“While we have no major storms upon us, it’s critical that we take steps to prepare for any contingency that might present itself,” explains Governor Dannel Malloy. “And clearly the tropical season is in full force.”
The height of hurricane season has proven to be a time that has brought Connecticut the worst storms in New England’s history, most recently, Hurricane Sandy.
"Remembering that ride as we left our house kind of looking back and not knowing what we would see coming home was excruciating," recalls Milford resident Chuck Zimmerman.
Hurricane Sandy led to devastating flooding, 600,000 power outages that lasted several days and at least $360 million in damage.
Before Sandy came Irene which brought high winds, heavy rains, and flash flooding. Thirty homes in East Haven were destroyed and five others were damaged beyond repair. At one point a record 754,000 customers were without power. The 2011 storm led to a total of 10 deaths in Connecticut.
But perhaps the most famous of all is The Great Hurricane of 1938. To this day it is still the most deadly and destructive natural disaster to hit New England, killing 85 people in Connecticut with winds gusting up to 140 miles per hour.
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Ahead of any future storms, the state has launched a new technology that provides information and alerts to Connecticut residents in the event a hurricane strikes.
“We want to ensure that proper communication extends to our residents as well,” says Malloy. “In terms of communicating with the public during emergency situations I am pleased to announce that the state has developed a new, free mobile app specifically for Connecticut residents.”
The Connecticut Prepares app, created at no cost to the state, will help residents before, during, and after a storm.
The app includes a list of steps to help residents prepare for the storm. It also provides contact information for local power companies, poison control and other useful utilities during a storm. The app also allows users to select settings that will send automatic updates from the state during an emergency situation. Another unique feature allows users to pre-set contacts that will receive alerts that the user is safe via email, text message, or social media if caught in a storm.
