Town Officials Establish Windsor Storm Center

For the past few days, town officials have met a number of times to prepare for Irene, which is currently battering the Outer Banks of North Carolina with category 2 force and is expected to produce tropical storm-force winds upon arrival to Hartford County.

Town officials have completed all "readiness steps as outlined in the town's Emergency Operation Plan," said Town Manager Peter Souza Friday afternoon.

According to Souza, those steps have included reveiwing public communications practices, dispatching Public Works to prepare local roads, streams and storm drains for the expected rainfall, and the establishment of the Windsor Storm Center.

Public Works has designated areas vulnerable to flooding, Souza said. The department has also cleared storm drains throughout town and tested generators in public buildings that will be needed throughout and after the storm — the town shelter, L.P. Wilson, and the Emergency Operations Center, Town Hall.

The Windsor Storm Center, set to open Saturday evening, will provide residents with around-the-clock, non-emergency assistance over the phone. The telephone line (860-285-1900) will be staffed throughout the storm to receive calls of downed trees, power loss and other non-emergency events, Souza said.

All emergencies should be reported to police, not the Storm Center.

More information on the Storm Center and proper precautions can be found on the town website.