Police, National Guard Protect East Haven Against Looters

The Cosey Beach area of East Haven was one of the worst hit areas of the state during Tropical Storm Irene and police and the National Guard are monitoring the area for protection against possible looting.

This is the second time in 14 months that the community has experienced destruction.

When Tropical Storm Irene struck in August 2011, houses were destroyed and theives looted six condemned houses and stripped them of copper. There has been one case of looting since Sandy, officials said.

Two houses collapsed during this storm and four others cannot be repaired, officials said. Several others were damaged by powerful wind gusts and storm surges.

Others that were rebuilt to federal standards survived the storm.

City officials issued mandatory evacuations in advance of the storm for residents within the two blocks of the shore. Most people heeded the evacuation order.

“Very few people have stayed in their homes,” Maturo said in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon.

Mayor Joseph Maturo enacted a curfew for thise evacuation zones. That curfew remains in effect for Cosey Beach.

"Compared to last year, they’ve done a phenomenal job.  It’s well organized and I feel very confident that my house and my tenants will be OK tonight," Linda Gagnon, a landlord, said on Tuesday.

"There was a lot of looting," she said. "It was insane. And it’s much more calm and manageable this year."
 


A shelter is open at East Haven High School, on Wheelbarrow Lane.
 

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