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First Selectman Rob Mallozzi III said New Canaan has a long way to go before things get back to normal. Driving through town to assess the damages and seeing all the downed trees and snapped utility poles, Mallozzi said it may take five to 10 days before the town has all its power back.
“It’s bad, seeing the volume of problems on every road,” Mallozzi said, noting that what he’s seen far exceeds the damage from Hurricane Irene last year. As proud as he is of how residents and emergency crews from the town and Connecticut Light and Power have responded, “we have got a ways to go,” the first selectman said.
Town Emergency Management Director Mike Handler said late Tuesday that there are at least 135 roads in town that are impassible and it may take two days to rectify that situation. Dozens of roads in town have downed power lines, complicating travel to and through town. Town crews plan to work overnight to focus on roads on New Canaan’s east side. Come Wednesday morning, Handler said, efforts will focus on the Braeburn area first.
Handler cautioned residents to be careful when using generators, saying they should not be operated inside of a home or garage. The town closed the emergency shelter at Lapham Community Center at 9 p.m. Tuesday because residents found alternate accommodations.
To contact the New Canaan Emergency Operations Center, call (203) 594-4100.
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