Storm Hub: Police & Fire Depts Respond to Hundreds of Calls For Service

EversourceUpdate: Sundy March 4, 2018, 5:30pm:

Town crews have made major progress in their work to clear trees and limbs that closed 184 roads in Greenwich in the aftermath of the March 2 Nor’easter.

As of 4:00pm Sunday 45 roads remain obstructed by trees, limbs and utility wires.

Any downed wire should be considered a live wire and avoided.

(Please see the attached list of Greenwich roads that remain closed or partially blocked by trees or limbs. This list is as of 1:00 pm Sunday, March 4)

As of 5:15 pm, there were 3,097 Greenwich Eversource customers without power. Eversource has estimated that a majority of those customers would have power restored by 9:00pm.

During the height of the storm on Friday, March 2, the Greenwich Police responded to 450 calls for service between 8:00am and 11:00pm.  

The Greenwich Fire Dept responded to 184 incidents from 8:00am Friday to 5:00pm on Sunday

There were two major structure fires during this time frame, one on Bible Street and one on John Street. Both were resource intensive requiring upwards of 15 units each. Access to the fire scenes and water supply to both were challenging due to road closures.

The Fire Dept also responded to one fatal motor vehicle accident on the Merritt Parkway, which involved extrication resulting from a tree falling on a car.

All Greenwich Public Schools have electrical power. However, bus routes and major commuting routes may be impacted by the blocked roads. The decision on school schedules for Monday, March 5 will be announced by the Board of Education.

If residents are using generators to power their homes, they are reminded to be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning risks and to make sure they are operated outside the home.

For residents without power or heat, the Town will continue to offer warming and charging centers through the weekend.

Greenwich Library will be open from 9:00am to 9:00pm on Monday March 5. The library’s sister branches – Byram Shubert and Cos Cob, also will be open for regular business hours.

The lobby of the Greenwich Public Safety Complex on Havemeyer Place is open daily – 24/7.

The Western Greenwich Bendheim Civic Center, 449 Pemberwick Road, is open daily from 9:00 am to 7:00pm. (The Eastern Greenwich (Old Greenwich) Civic Center is closed.)

Town emergency services, Parks & Recreation and DPW will continue to monitor the situation throughout Town until all roads are reopened.

FULL CLOSURES (3/4/18- 1300)
CENTRAL:
147 Woodside Dr
7 Oneida Dr

EAST:
15 Rick Beth Ln
69 Hillcrest Park Rd

WEST:
Norias Rd (dead end)
Flower Ln (dead end)
28 Stonehedge Dr
10 Comly Ave (blocked at #10)
20 Blind Brook Rd
24 Fox Run Ln
29-55 Richmond Hill Rd (work in progress)
6 E James St
25 Bowman Dr
Porchuck Rd/Riversville Rd
47 Thunder Mountain Rd (not accessible to trucks)


Update: Sunday March 4, 2018. As of Sunday afternoon, 28,218 customers in Greenwich remain without power. That number reflects 11% of households.

A statement from Eversource around 4:30 said crews continue making significant progress restoring power to thousands of customers after Friday’s devastating storm that brought destructive winds, rain and snow to the state. Working alongside out-of-state lineworkers, crews have restored power to approximately 174,000 homes and businesses since the storm began. The company is on track to have the majority of customers without power back on line by 9:00pm  Sunday night.

“This has been painstaking work – in some parts of the state our crews are having to rebuild portions of the electric system,” said Eversource VP of Electric Operations in CT Michael Hayhurst. “With almost 500 utility poles broken, 87 miles of electric lines down and nearly 400 blocked roads that had to be addressed, our crews have done a tremendous job and they are committed to continue working until every last customer is restored.”

With power restoration to most of Eversource customers affected by this storm complete later tonight, crews will focus on the remaining single or scattered outages. These are more complex outages that take additional time to complete and may require assistance from a private electrician or contractor. Lineworkers are going to each of these individual locations to assess what additional equipment or effort may be required to make repairs.

Customers can find a listing of estimated restoration times for their towns on eversource.com.

Greenwich update #2, Saturday March 3, 4:30PM. (The next Town advisory/update will be issued Sunday, March 4. stay tuned)

Sound View Drive still blocked at 4pm. March 3, 2018 contributed

Sound View Drive still blocked at 4pm. March 3, 2018 contributed

Town update #2, Saturdy March 3, 4:00pm:
Crews continue to work clearing trees and limbs that have closed dozens of Greenwich roads in the aftermath of the March 2 Nor’easter.
Crews of Town employees and private contractors will continue the cleanup efforts through the weekend. Many roads remain blocked by downed trees, poles and utility wires. Any downed wire should be considered a live wire and avoided.
Many roads remain closed and motorists are advised to avoid those areas and to expect detours. “Until all roads are open, we ask residents to travel only if necessary,” said First Selectman Peter J. Tesei. “It is not prudent to be out sightseeing to check out the damage around Town.”
For residents without power or heat, the Town will continue to offer warming and charging centers through the weekend.
Greenwich Library will be open from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 4.
The lobby of the Greenwich Public Safety Complex on Havemeyer Place is open daily – 24/7.
The Western Greenwich Bendheim Civic Center, 449 Pemberwick Road, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (The Eastern Greenwich (Old Greenwich) Civic Center is closed.)
Personnel from the Town’s emergency services, Parks & Recreation and Public Works departments will continue to monitor the situation throughout Town.
A barge that had a crane on it took on water overnight and at approximately 10:20 both crane and barge sunk. Contributed photo

A barge that had a crane on it took on water overnight and at approximately 10:20 both crane and barge sunk. Contributed photo

Crane that fell off a barge and into the water at Greenwich Point. Photo Greenwich Fire Dept Twitter

Crane that fell off a barge and into the water at Greenwich Point. Photo Greenwich Fire Dept Twitter

contributed

Binney Park on Friday March 2, 2018

Binney Park on Friday March 2, 2018 Contributed

Tree down at Dingletown. March 2, 2018 contributed

Sound View Terrace, March 2, 2018 contributed photo

Sound View Terrace, March 2, 2018 contributed photo

Fallen tree on Hamilton Avenue School. March 2, 2018 Contributed

Fallen tree on Hamilton Avenue School. March 2, 2018 Contributed

Road closure in Cos Cob March 2, 2018 Contributed

Tree down on Field Point Rd next to town Hall. Contributed. March 2, 2018

Tree down on Field Point Rd next to town Hall. Contributed. March 2, 2018

Road closure in Cos Cob March 2, 2018 Contributed

Road closure in Cos Cob March 2, 2018 Contributed

Tree down. March 2 ,2018 Contributed photo

Update Friday, 10:00pm: The Town of Greenwich announced that with the continuing severe weather conditions residents can seek warmth and ability to recharge individual electronic devices in the lobby of the Greenwich Public Safety Complex on Havemeyer Place. Hours are 24/7.

Recharging and warming facilities also are available at the Western Greenwich Civic Center, 449 Pemberwick Road, from 9 a.m. To 7 p.m.

The Greenwich Library will be available from 9 a.m. To 5 p.m. On Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 4. There are NO facilities available at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center.

The Town will continue to evaluate conditions as the storm progresses during the next 24 hours and send advisories as necessary.

Posted by GPD

Greenwich Police posted this tweet around 7:30pm:


Update Friday, 6:00pm: Eversource report that tree and line crews, assisted by thousands of support personnel, have been working non-stop to repair the destruction caused by the high winds, rain and snow that swept through the region on Friday.

The damage caused by the storm is extensive and widespread throughout the state,” Eversource said in a statement.  “Eversource employees and contractors have restored power to more than 48,000 customers since the storm began and are committed to safely completing the restoration effort.”


On Friday around 3:30pm, GPD advised that  travel in the Town of Greenwich remains difficult as numerous trees and wires have come down due to high winds. As the storm moves through the area we can expect more trees and wires to fall. Flooding is another hazards associated with this storm.

People living in known flood areas should expect an extended and unusual high tide. Slippery road conditions and reduced visibility can be expected throughout the night. CL@P, the Tree Department and our First Responders are currently working to open roads in effected areas and will continue to do so.

If you do not have to travel, please do not until the storm has passed. Stay away from all down wires.

Downed tree forces cars to turn around by Greenwich Hospital and Lake Ave 3:30pm. Photo Leslie Yager

Downed tree forces cars to turn around by Greenwich Hospital and Lake Ave 3:30pm. Photo Leslie Yager

Downed tree forces cars to turn around on King Street around 3:40pm. March 2, 2018. Photo Leslie Yager

Downed tree forces cars to turn around on King Street around 3:40pm. March 2, 2018. Photo Leslie Yager

Flooding at East Point Lane. March 2, 2018 Contributed

Flooding at East Point Lane. March 2, 2018 Contributed

Binney Park Friday morning, March 2. Contributed

Update 2:00pm: Greenwich Schools shared a message that a transformer blew on Hillside and Post Rd. “Traffic Delay Alert: Please expect traffic and bus delays.” the school is on an early release schedule.


Send us your storm photos! A Nor’easter is pounding Greenwich with high winds, heavy rain and some snow.

On Friday morning Greenwich Schools Announce Early Release schedule was activated.

There is a high high wind warning in effect from 11:00am on Friday to 6:00am on Saturday, with winds North 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. That could bring down trees, tree limbs and power lines.

It was a very wet February so conditions are already very soggy.

Flooding in Old Greenwich, contributed March 2, 2018

Flooding in Old Greenwich, contributed March 2, 2018

Flooding in Binney Park. Contributed March 2, 2018

Flooding in Binney Park. Contributed March 2, 2018

The strongest winds should come from Friday afternoon through Friday night.

The National Weather Service says damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Limited visibilities will make travel difficult.

A flood watch will be in effect from Friday morning thorugh late Friday night.

Eversource says its line and tree crews are ready to respond as the powerful nor’easter moves into the region, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and wet snow. With wind gusts of up to 60 mph, this storm has the potential to bring trees and tree limbs down onto power lines, causing damage to the energy system.

Eversource reminds all to stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1.

Report outages online at www.eversource.com, or by calling 800-286-2000.

Send storm photos to [email protected]


Image

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