Hurricane Sandy: Knowing "At Risk" Areas in Guilford

Guilford's town website recently posted "Community Emergency Service: Be Aware and Prepare," which details policies and procedures for the town, as well as preparations to make.

The following information is about "At Risk" areas in Guilford, as well as how to determine how vulnerable your area is:

Vulnerability of your location to flooding or isolation is a major element of situational awareness, and of your decision to evacuate or shelter in place. If you are new to the community and have not experienced many storms here, please contact the Planning and Zoning office to determine the risk of your location to natural hazards from major storms.

There are two aspects to vulnerability of a location:

• Will the location itself be flooded in a major storm or likely compromised by power outage?

• Will the location likely be isolated from other areas of town and from access by Emergency Services in the event of flooding or downed trees.

In the event of a hurricane, it is prudent to assume that many areas of Rt. 146 will flood, inhibiting late evacuation from or access to neighborhoods south of that boundary. Roads along the banks of the East and West Rivers may also become impassible in some places.

The following is a list of specific road segments or neighborhoods that are known to be affected by flooding in major storms. It is not intended to be definitive, but to help you determine your possible vulnerability for evacuation and to identify alternative routes if possible.

• Chimney Corner and Prospect Street
• Indian Cove
• Mulberry Point and many of its roads
• Long Hill Road between Hubbard Road and Rt.1 Neck Road
• River Street between Fair Street and Rt. 1
• Shell Beach Rd
• Seaside Avenue
• Rt. 1 near the Intersections of Long Hill Road and River Streets Rt. 1 at the Madison Border
• Rt. 77 near the intersection with Lakeside Avenue
• Rt. 146 Causeway over the West River
• Rt. 146 at the railroad underpass near the Branford Town Line Rt. 146 at the railroad underpass and junction with Leetes Island Road

Stay tuned to Guilford Patch's Hurricane Center which has all your Sandy updates