Police: Tree Damage In Greenwich Is 'Extensive'

GREENWICH, CT — Police said tree damage in Greenwich is "extensive" following Tropical Storm Isaias' path through town Tuesday afternoon.

In an update Thursday evening, police said the scale of the damage to public utilities in town is "widespread, complex and requires a highly coordinated and technical response." (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Town departments are currently working with utility crews provided by Eversource on restoration efforts. According to the company's outage map, over 7,500 Greenwich residents are still without power as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

See also: Multiple Crews Working To Restore Power In Greenwich: Police

"The town has no control over the number of assets, or the duration of the assets supplied by public utility workers," police said in a statement. "The town's emergency operations center (EOC) is in constant contact with Eversource and the other public utilities. The town...will continue to operate with all its departments and divisions in full force as we work toward recovery together."

Police said 134 roads in town were blocked following the storm Tuesday, and nearly 80 have reopened as of Thursday at 6 p.m. Lake Avenue at North Maple Avenue remained closed as of that time, according to police.

A total of 433 incidents were reported during the storm, according to police. These incidents included roadways blocked, wires down and low wires, police said. Of these incidents, 233 have been resolved.

"Most of the roads are open and passable," police said, "however there may still be no power, and there may still be low wires on the roadway shoulders."

Police also said 200 total incidents from the storm are still active in some manner.

Greenwich Fire Department

Non-potable water will be available at the following town fire stations for residents who need it to flush toilets:

• Round Hill Fire House at 166 Old Mill Road, Greenwich – Hose is located on the parking lot side of the building.
• Banksville Fire House at 33 Bedford- Banksville Road, Banksville- Hose is located in the rear by the back door.
• North Street Fire House at 669 north street, Greenwich- Hose in front of the building.
• Glenville Fire House at 266 Glenville Road, Greenwich- Hose is located on the front ramp.
• Cos Cob Fire House at 200 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich- Hose is located to the rear.

The water is self-service, and residents will need to bring your own containers.

Generators- Improperly installed electrical generators can create a hazard. A licensed electrician should perform all work on your home's electrical system. Generator back-feeding can result in death or injury to yourself or utility work. Back-feeding is the tying of a portable generator directly to your home’s electrical panel/ outlet instead of using a transfer switch.

Fire Alarms- If your home or business has a hard-wired fire alarm, the battery backup needs to be checked. A prolonged power outage can drain the battery.

Town of Greenwich Department of Health

During power outages, the department recommends:

• Unplug your appliances
• Generators should be used with caution. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and NEVER operate a generator indoors. DO NOT supply generator power to your home’s mainline as you may injure a utility employee. Be aware of the cords used with the generator and the location of pooled water at all times.
• Conserve fuel and water. A few large containers can be filled with warm water for an emergency supply.
• Observe health precautions when issued.
• Do not use charcoal grills indoors or gas stoves as a source of heat. Either one can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Fireplaces may be used as long as they are properly vented.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. With the door closed, fully stacked freezers will keep for two days, while half-full freezers will keep food for one day. Dry ice can be used safely in freezers; however, gloves must be worn in handling and proceed as recommended.
• All thawed food may be cooked if maintained below 45o; otherwise, it should be discarded. It is not recommended to refreeze any food once it has thawed.
• Refrigerated food, especially perishable items such as eggs, milk, fish, meat, and poultry, should be maintained at 45 degrees or below. Foods should be cooked or discarded after three hours of not being maintained at proper temperatures. All stuffed meats and poultry should be discarded. Any doubt concerning food items, discard or contact the Division of Environmental Health at 203-987-1001, to discuss certain situations.

Greenwich Police Department

The department continues to deploy extra officers to the shifts to help in the recovery response. The standard operating level of officers has remained the same and will answer all calls for service without an issue. The added officers are assigned to the utility and public works crews to provide a safe work zone to open the road and restore power.

The damage caused by the storm was deemed significant enough that First Selectman Fred Camillo declared a local state of emergency Tuesday evening as the town worked to clear hazards from the town's roads.

See also: Greenwich Power Outages At 10,000 From Tropical Storm Isaias

Police said Wednesday all outages should be reported directly to Eversource at eversource.com, or by calling 800-286-2000. If a traffic signal is out, residents are asked to treat them as stop signs and proceed with caution, and service will be restored to them as quickly as possible, according to police.

Blocked roads can also be reported to the town's public safety general dispatch number at 203-622-8004.

Further information can be found on the department's Facebook page. Patch's live updates of Tuesday's storm can be found here.