The greatest impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias in Connecticut are expected from Tuesday afternoon through the early morning hours of Wednesday and parts of the state could get wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour.
The NBC Connecticut meteorologists are concerned about wind damage and power outages.
Here is what you can do to prepare before a storm, what to do during a storm and what to do after:
Before a Severe Storm
- Prepare an emergency kit.
- Remove all dead or rotting trees and branches from your property. During a severe storm, dead or rotted trees and branches can fall and cause damage to your home.
- Secure any outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
- Unplug electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.
- Get updates on the NBC Connecticut app.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you give yourself more time than usual to prepare your emergency food, water, and medicine supplies. Home delivery is the safest choice for buying disaster supplies; however, that may not be an option for everyone. If in-person shopping is your only choice, take steps to protect your and others’ health when running essential errands
During a Severe Storm
- Stay away from windows and doors
- Stay off porches
- Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or small structures in open areas.
- If you live in a mobile home, plan to leave. Mobile homes are unsafe in high winds.
- Get out of boats and away from the water.
The CDC recommends that if you will be staying with friends or family outside your household to evacuate from the storm:
- Talk to the people you plan to stay with about how you can all best protect yourselves from COVID-19.
- Consider if either of your households has someone who is at higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19, including older adults or people of any age who have underlying medical conditions. Make sure everyone knows what they can do to keep them safe from COVID-19.
- Follow everyday preventive actions, including covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands often, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Consider taking extra precautions for people living in close quarters.
- Know what to do if someone in your family or in the household you are staying with becomes sick with COVID-19. Take steps to keep your pets safe.
After a Severe Storm
- Report downed power lines to Utility Companies.
- Continue to listen for the latest updates. You can get them on the NBC Connecticut app.
- If you cannot return home and need to stay in a shelter, contact your local Emergency Management Office to find out about shelter locations near you.
- Drive only if necessary avoiding flooded roads and washed out bridges.
- Keep away from loose, damaged power lines and report them immediately to the Utility Company.
- Stay out of any building if you smell gas, if floodwaters remain, or if your home was damaged by fire and the authorities have not declared it safe.
- Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage both of the building and its contents for insurance purposes. If you have doubts about safety, have your residence inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering.
Note: Information above is was compiled from the state of Connecticut and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
