Hurricane Warning: Lamont Declares Emergency, CT Preps For Henri

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday he will be issuing a declaration of civil preparedness emergency to enable the state to take any actions necessary to prepare for Tropical Storm Henri.

Henri is expected to make landfall in Connecticut after getting an upgrade to Category 1 hurricane status, sometime late Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

The governor said he will be requesting a presidential pre-landfall emergency declaration to provide the state with federal assistance in anticipation of the impacts of the storm. He has called for residents to be prepared to shelter in place by Sunday afternoon through at least Monday morning.

Current forecasts project that the storm will become a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning, and then make landfall on Sunday evening near the area of Stonington, along the Rhode Island border. As of this afternoon, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane watches for New London, Middlesex, and New Haven Counties. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Fairfield County. Additional watches and warnings are anticipated.

The Connecticut State Emergency Operations Center will be partially activated on Saturday, and fully activated by Sunday morning. It will be staffed by representatives of the relevant state agencies, in addition to utility company representatives, in order to monitor and manage any issues that may arise as a result of the storm, according to a statement from Lamont's office.

Two hundred members of the Connecticut National Guard are being called into active duty beginning on Saturday morning to prepare teams and specialized equipment in support of the state's response. Expected missions include high-wheeled vehicle search and rescue, route clearance, power generation, and commodities distribution, but may shift depending on the actual impact of the storm, according to Lamont.

WFSB meteorologist Mark Dixon is calling for up to 8 inches of rain along with 70 mph gusts of wind, raising concerns about coastal flooding.