East Haven Working To Recover From Isaias' Windy Wrath

EAST HAVEN — Even as the storm was making itself felt early Tuesday afternoon, town emergency management officials had plans underway. And as Tropical Storm Isaias’ whipping winds were blowing, town workers were already involved in recovery efforts, Mayor Joseph Carfora said Wednesday.

And Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli and Police Chief Ed Lennon noted that the fire department responded to 82 calls for service, mostly related to downed wires and / or trees, and the East Haven Police responded to 92 calls for service during the same time period.

Utility contractors were staged in the Town Beach parking lot, and almost immediately went to work to begin “make-safe” efforts, Carfora said

“East Haven Public Works Department led by Charlie Coyle and his crew are to be commended for this work so far, working through the night clearing roads and speeding the process for our Town to get back to normal despite widespread damage throughout town which included structural damage, hundreds of downed trees and widespread power outages. Our crews are working side by side with the United Illuminating crews,” Carfora said.

“I certainly recognize the difficulties of living without power, but I can assure you that the UI is working as diligently as possible in all restoration efforts.”

Marcarelli said that a municipal liaison from United Illuminating was in contact with him throughout the night.

“The recovery effort is strategic and methodical; the primary mission going forward will be safety. Town crews will be paired with a United Illuminating tree and line crew addressing downed trees with an electrical hazard. Once these lines are de-energized, tree crews will move in to remove the tree and clear the street,” Marcarelli said.

As of Wednesday, there are currently 19 impassable roads throughout town, the fire chief said.
But he added that people should be “prepared to be without power for a few days, as restoration will not start until the safety work is completed.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, East Haven has 77 separate power outages impacting 3,402 homes, a quarter of all in East Haven served by UI.

To report an outage, call 800-722-5584.

Marcarelli also stressed the importance of properly using a portable generator so that it does not “back feed” into an electrical panel.

“'Back feeding' electricity is dangerous and could pose a serious risk to lineman working to restore power,” he said.

For those using a generator, make sure it is at least 20 feet from a residence or building to avoid carbon monoxide build-up in the home, Marcarelli said.

And Police Chief Lennon said for those that must be out on the roads, they should, “exercise additional caution when driving and if possible, limit road travel so utility crews can complete their work as fast as possible.”

Carfora said recovery efforts will continue and the town will be “preparing for the next.”

“We’re only in the early part of hurricane season,” he said.