From the Town Manager

To Town Residents from the Town Manager,

We are now in day eight of the storm’s aftermath. As of 10:00 a.m. The CL&P website says we are at 44% outage. Fortunately we did get power at our elderly housing complex so the thirty residents are now safe. It took CL&P two and one half hours to get the power restored at this priority site that we have been asking be addressed for two days.

According to our CL&P representative we will have nine line crews, five tree crews and three service crews in Town today. Their goal is to have the outages down to 1400 by 4:00 pm and 300 by midnight which would be 95%. Utility crews will be concentrating on lines with the most customers which include Tolland Stage Road, Old Post Road, Reed Road etc.  Based on my continued assessment of conditions in Town I have doubts on these new estimates being achieved as I had doubts they would reach 99% by midnight.  Many of the customers who have service line issues will not see power restored until at least tomorrow. We still have 21 roads that remained blocked in one fashion or another.

For those still without power we will continue to be a strong advocate on your behalf. This response continues to be inadequate which I believe has been loudly communicated to the utility company. Please however do not take any of your frustrations or anger out on crews as they are doing the best job they can.

As power is being restored residents are cautioned to be aware that downed wires previously declared dead may become energized.  NEVER go near, touch or cut ANY downed wires.  Also please remove any items you may have on your stovetop or in your oven.

Residents should be informed that the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has deployed Military personnel to Tolland to perform damage assessments.  These forces will be driving in humvees and photographing road blockages, downed trees, poles and wires.  Tolland’s Director of Public Works, Clem Langlois has provided them with instructions and maps of the hardest hit areas of town and the information gathered will be forwarded to the State EOC in an effort to assist in Tolland’s
recovery.

We will be resuming garbage collection on Monday 11/07/11.  If your road has downed wires remaining your collection may be impacted. 

There is no school on Monday, 11/07/11.