Bristol ready for whatever Sandy delivers

As the first winds of Hurricane Sandy began to blow in Bristol, officials scurried to make sure the city is as ready as possible for the hammering the storm is expected to deliver during the next 24 hours.

Emergency shelter at Chippens Hill Middle School ready.

“It’s scary thinking about what could happen,” said Cheryl Frearson, who was buying gas on Farmington Avenue. “They make it seem like the end of the world.”

Bristol officials, though, don’t expect anything close.  But they do take the warnings seriously.

Before noon Monday, power outages had already knocked out hundreds of customers in Forestville, including the Manross branch library. Plainville also had about 600 residents without power.

Officials anticipate widespread outages as wires come down in the strong winds later Monday and Tuesday.

Flooding is likely, they said, in parts of town that normally wind up inundated when there are heavy rains, including portions of Frederick Street near Coppermine Brook.

An emergency shelter at Chippens Hill Middle School opened at noon Monday, ready to take in anyone displaced by the storm.

Some companies, including many small businesses, have closed or scaled back their operations as the storm nears Connecticut, including ESPN.

It told many workers to stay home Monday and shifted some SportsCenter broadcasts to its Los Angeles studio to ease the crunch.

Craig Bengtson, vice president for SportsCenter said, “The safety of our Bristol-based employees is paramount. It just makes sense to take advantage of our team in Los Angeles. It’s one of the

reasons why ESPN has a facility there.”

After hearing that state highways would close mid-day to non-essential travel, Mayor Art Ward said that city workers who didn’t have a role to play in dealing with the storm should be sent home early.

The public works department won’t pick up trash, recycling, yard wastes or leaves on Tuesday. Instead, it is pushing collections back one day for the rest of the week, with Friday routes being done on Saturday.

Richard Ladisky, the city’s emergency management director, said the city is planning for a major crisis bt hoping that Sandy brings only “localized flooding ad pockets of outages.”

He said officials, who conducted a major hurricane planning exercise last month,  are ready statewide and in Bristol to cope with the storm.

“There have been a lot of changes and a lot of training and a lot of dedication” to making sure everyone is ready, he said, and “these people have been spot-on” in their responses so far.

“We’re blessed in Bristol,” Ladisky said, to have such professional police, fire and public works personnel and leadership, all of whom recognize they have to work together.

City Councilor Ken Cockayne, who stopped  by the shelter in late morning to see if he could lend a hand, said that Monday morning was little more than “a regular rainstorm” but that worse weather was likely coming.

“We can’t be any more prepared than we are right now,” Cockayne said.

Southington has banned on-street parking Monday and Tuesday. It also closed its library until Wednesday. Stay updated on Southington developments with its police Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Southington-Police-Department/164075689755.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Sandy shuts down Bristol schools for two days

Bristol schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Superintendent Ellen Solek decided Sunday morning that forecasts justified the closure of the schools for two days.

The city plans to open its emergency shelter at Chippens Hill Middle School at noon Monday.

Mayor Art Ward said Sunday that he intends to open an emergency operations center at 9 a.m. Monday to coordinate Bristol's response to Hurricane Sandy. The shelter would open three hours later, he said.

Ward said that he expects heavy winds to start Sunday night and to see a prolonged storm during the next couple of days that could bring power outages, flooding and other woes.

Chippens Hill Middle School

Ward said that plans could shift if there is new information about the storm. He said city crews are getting ready to cope with the problems they anticipate after seeing what happened during several major storms a year, including the pre-Halloween snowstorm that knocked out power for many residents for as long as a week and a half.

Ward said one thing he won't do this year is declare Halloween cancelled.

If that happens, he said, it's going to be Solek's call. It's a school night after all, the mayor said.

Anyone who thinks they may need to use the city's emergency shelter should make preparations ahead of time.

If it's possible, bring clothing, bedding, sanitary supplies and other necessities. It's especially important to bring medications, oxygen and other critical health-related supplies that are not available at the shelter, officials said. The shelter will have cots, food and water. 

The city's backup shelter, at the Beals Senior-Community Center on Stafford Avenue, is not available this month because of ongoing construction there. Only Chippens Hill Middle School is ready to handle residents seeking shelter.

One thing that officials hope people will do to help themselves is to clear leaves and debris from storm drains. That will allow storm water to flow off the roads and prevent some flooding and keep streets open that might otherwise be unavailable.

They also urge residents to check on elderly and frail neighbors if the storm gets bad. They may need help.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Snow anger at City Hall (updated)

When the snow piled up last Wednesday in a storm that even the dumbest weather personality on tv could predict well ahead of time, the state, most big companies and many small ones simply closed up for the day.
After all, Gov. Dannel Malloy asked people to stay off the roads, saying it wasn't safe out there.
Of course, some people have to work. They perform the critical functions we all need to get through the storm safe and sound.
But most don't.
In our region of the state, nearly every municipality shut down for the day except for essential services such as snow plowing, fire and police.
But Bristol opened its door anyway.
At City Hall, by all accounts, the only people there were a smattering of enraged employees snarling that they shouldn't have been forced to come to work -- particularly when the public they serve wasn't about to brave the weather to come get a building permit, pay a tax bill, register to vote or anything else.
The libraries, thinly staffed, open to nobody. The senior center was silent, but open.
City workers were told they didn't have to come in if they couldn't, but staying home would cost them a vacation day (or, in the case of new workers, they could just go without pay for the day). So those who could make it, did.
But it's hard to say why.
They put their own safety at risk -- and they put others in danger, too, because every vehicle or pedestrian on the road that day contributed to the problem.
So why were they called in when most cities and towns told workers to stay home?
Because some Bristol workers who have to put in time during a storm get automatic overtime if City Hall closes. And that would cost a few extra bucks.
I can't say whether taxpayers would mind shelling out the extra money to keep Bristol's government workers safe, but I do know that it's crazy to insist people show up at work when there's little work to do and the governor himself is telling everyone to stay home for the good of the state.
This isn't how government should run.

UPDATE: The police contract, at least, does not require overtime for police if City Hall is closed because of the weather, according to the police union and others.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Have storm damage? The city wants to know

If you suffered any losses in last week's tornado and the accompanying storm, the city wants to know more.
There is a form to fill out -- click here for the PDF -- and print. Send a copy to the mayor's office at 111 North Main St./ Bristol, CT 06010.
It's possible you might be able to get some financial help if the city succeeds in getting federal disaster relief. Part of getting that designation is showing how much damage occurred so send 'em in.
Click here for the full story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City tallying tornado toll

City officials are scrambling to figure out how much last week’s tornado cost the community.
“We’re putting everything together,” Mayor Art Ward said Tuesday, but have no idea how much it cost to deal with the damage caused by the July 21 storm.
As a first step, officials are trying to compile an account of how much the cleanup cost in terms of overtime, equipment and damage.
But City Hall is also angling to find out how badly the tornado socked residents and businesses.
Ward said the city website will soon have a form for residents to give a preliminary accounting of how much the tornado socked them for. He said the city needs to gather names, addresses, damage estimates and how much insurance reimbursement residents are to receive. Read the full story.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City facing big cleanup after tornado

Crews are still trying to cope with the damage left by a tornado that tore a path Wednesday afternoon from Rockwell Park to Middle Street.

The National Weather Service said the twister ripped off tree tops and plucked other trees right out of the ground as it cut for a mile and a half through the heart of Bristol, leaving a swath of debris but no injuries or deaths.

With a maximum wind speed of 90 miles an hour, the weather service rated the tornado a relatively mild one with a 25-yard wide path that began near the city’s historic West End park.

The worst-hit section, along Blakeslee Street, saw trees snapped and broken for much of its length.

City public works crews said they had a tough time cutting their way through a sea of fallen trees left by the tornado along the road that cuts between Federal Hill and Riverside Avenue, including the Huntington Woods complex.

The “shearing off and twisting of tree tops,” some flung in opposite directions, is characteristic of a small tornado, weather service experts said in a statement released late Thursday.

At Rockwell Park, trees were knocked to the ground along the outfield fence of Muzzy Field, the basketball court and elsewhere, but despite the widespread damage, none of the park’s buildings or major facilities got hit.

As the storm rolled into town, the sky turned ominously dark, the wind howled and rain fell with Biblical fervor, drenching low-lying areas and turning many Federal Hill streets into raging torrents.

On Riverside Avenue, the wind shoved a Dumpster several feet, according to T.J. Barnes, and on Main Street the waters gushing downhill were strong enough to carry off a Press vending box. Click here for full story.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Tornado touched down near downtown yesterday

A powerful storm that ripped through the center of Bristol Wednesday included a tornado that tore a path down Blakeslee Street, the hardest hit section of town.

The National Weather Service determined Thursday that a tornado touched down briefly near Blakeslee and High streets, twisting off tree tops and uprooting several old trees completely.

With a maximum wind speed of 90 miles an hour, weather experts said, the damage path was 1.5 miles long and 25 yards wide.

City public works crews said they had a tough time cutting their way through a sea of fallen trees left by the tornado along the road that cuts between Federal Hill and Riverside Avenue, including the Huntington Woods complex.

In the wake a powerful punch from Mother Nature shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday that tossed trees to the ground, ripped off roofs and flooded streets, the city is seeking disaster relief to help cover the cost of dealing with the mess left behind.

Mayor Art Ward said Thursday the city was “very, very, very fortunate” that nobody was injured or killed as the storm swept across Bristol.

The mayor said the American Red Cross sheltered about 10 people last night at a hotel in Terryville after the roofs were torn off their homes on North Main Street.

Ward said the designation of the tornado should help the city get disaster relief from the state and federal government.

Surveying the damage across town this morning, Ward said he was surprised how concentrated most of the destruction was. It mostly followed a corridor across the central part of the city that included Rockwell Park, Federal Hill, Memorial Boulevard and Frederick Street, the mayor said.

But several public works employees who have been cleaning up across town said that none of the damage elsewhere compared with the devastation on Blakeslee Street.

On the enhanced Fujita scale used to rate tornados, the twister that struck the area was classified as Ef-1, the weather service said.

Ward said the storm was “definitely different” from anything he’s seen before.

“It definitely has to be classified as something other than a storm,” the mayor said. “When you look at the trees and how they remained after being impacted, literally trees were twisted. Some were just uprooted” while others were “cut off at the bottom, almost like a chainsaw” and still others cut off near their crests.

Ward said the “real darkness” at the height of the storm as well as the stunning amount of rain and hail was unique, too.

City Councilor Ken Cockayne said it seemed like someone flipped a switch and everything got dark on Middle Street shortly before hail and heavy rains started falling.

Given all the trees that came down, Ward said, the city is lucky that nobody got hurt or killed. Trees hit more than a few homes and vehicles, but didn’t clobber anyone in the process.

The mayor said he had no idea something so unusual was coming.

Ward said he was talking to a woman in his office shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday when he noticed that that it was growing dark outside his window. Then the rain began falling with growing intensity.

The mayor said it kept coming down harder and getting darker. When the hail began falling, too, he said, “I think we’re in trouble here.”

In no time, Ward said, the phones began ringing and sirens filled the air outside. Power went off at City Hall.

Ward said he soon declared a state of emergency and opened the emergency operations center about 5 p.m. to coordinate the city’s response.

About 5:30 p.m., Richard Ladisky, the city’s emergency management director, rushed into the police station. He said he’d been called in to help with the crisis, which he didn’t yet know much about.

Ward said he stayed until 11 p.m. and then returned this morning at 6 a.m. One officer on hand at the command center this morning had been working since 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the mayor said.

“I really want to express my appreciation to all of the city workers and the citizens. Everybody was absolutely superb. I did not hear one single complaint,” Ward said.

He said he has been especially impressed that the first question from almost everyone to him has been to inquire whether anyone got hurt. That says something about the community’s character, Ward said.

Cockayne said that all over town, people came together to help each other.

“It’s amazing to see the type of community we live in,” he said. “City workers did a tremendous job and when they weren’t around, people took care of business themselves” to clear roads and remove dangerous limbs.

Ward said that towing companies pulled cars out of danger for free, a tree company offered to help homeowners’ who can’t afford to pay for tree removals and many people rose to the challenge to lend a hand to neighbors.

“People have answered the call,” the mayor said. “They showed a can-do attitude and a caring for others.”

In the first real test of the city’s emergency preparedness since he took office in 2007, Ward said, “Everything went off without any hitches.”

Ward said he called for state and federal assistance Wednesday to get the wheels in motion for financial and other assistance for anyone seeking help. The city will have overtime costs and its own repair tab, the mayor said.

“It’ll cost us some time and money and labor to get back to normal. But Bristol has always responded well in times of emergency,” Ward said.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Lake Compounce will try to open on time

Lake Compounce hopes to open on time at 11 a.m. this morning.
It still lacks power, but the juice is supposed to be on in time. It may, however, open late if there's a hitch.
I'd call or check its website before heading over.
The nation's oldest amusement park has been without electricity since a powerful storm swept through Wednesday afternoon, forcing its early closure.
Mayor Art Ward said that many trees along the park's access road were down and that crews from Connecticut Light & Power were trying to reestablish power this morning.
It does not appear the park suffered any notable damage from the storm, the mayor said.
Update at 11:30 a.m. -- The park is open. Power is restored. Some rides may be down part of the day, however, because of the weather yesterday.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Transfer station to extend hours for storm cleanup

Press release from the Public Works Department:
The City of Bristol Public Works Department is extending the hours of the Transfer Station to assist residents with their storm clean up needs.
The Transfer Station will be open from 7:15 AM to 8:00 PM on Thursday 7/22/10 and Friday 7/23/10, and Monday through Friday next week 7/26/10 to 7/30/10. Saturday hours will also be extended, and the Transfer Station will be open on Saturday 7/24/10 from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Tree branches may be brought by Bristol residents to the Transfer Station with a residential permit, which is available at City Hall (Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM). A Bristol driver’s license, vehicle registration, and cash or check (only) for $20.00 is required to purchase a residential Transfer Station permit.
Branches brought to the Transfer Station should be no larger than 4 foot long and 6 inches in diameter. Stumps are not accepted at the Transfer Station.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Video of storm damage at Huntington Woods

Here's a video that a woman in Huntington Woods shot after the storm yesterday:


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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

The morning after

In the wake a powerful punch from Mother Nature Wednesday afternoon that tossed trees to the ground, ripped off roofs and flooded streets, the city plans to seek disaster relief to help cover the cost of dealing with the mess left behind.

Mayor Art Ward said this morning the city was “very, very, very fortunate” that nobody was injured or killed as the storm swept across Bristol shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The mayor said the American Red Cross sheltered about 10 people last night at a hotel in Terryville after the roofs were torn off their homes on North Main Street.

Surveying the damage across town this morning, Ward said he was surprised how concentrated most of the destruction was. It mostly followed a corridor across the central part of the city that included Rockwell Park, Federal Hill, Memorial Boulevard and Frederick Street, the mayor said.

Power remains out in parts of town, including Lake Compounce. Ward said utility crews are trying to get electricity restored to the park in time for it to open normally at 11 a.m. today.

The park’s website – lakecompounce.com – will be updated to inform patrons when the power is restored.

Ward said he doesn’t know if the rampant talk of twisters or tornadoes is on the mark, but the storm was “definitely different” from anything he’s seen before.

“It definitely has to be classified as something other than a storm,” the mayor said. “When you look at the trees and how they remained after being impacted, literally trees were twisted. Some were just uprooted” while others were “cut off at the bottom, almost like a chainsaw” and still others cut off near their crests.

Ward said the “real darkness” at the height of the storm as well as the stunning amount of rain and hail was unique, too.

Given all the trees that came down, Ward said, the city is lucky that nobody got hurt or killed. Trees hit more than a few homes and vehicles, but didn’t clobber anyone in the process.

The mayor said he had no idea something so unusual was coming.

Ward said he was talking to a woman in his office shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday when he noticed that that it was growing dark outside his window. Then the rain began falling with growing intensity.

The mayor said it kept coming down harder and getting darker. When the hail began falling, too, he said, “I think we’re in trouble here.”

In no time, Ward said, the phones began ringing and sirens filled the air outside. Power went off at City Hall.

Ward said he soon declared a state of emergency and opened the emergency operations center about 5 p.m. to coordinate the city’s response.

About 5:30 p.m., Richard Ladisky, the city’s emergency management director, rushed into the police station. He said he’d been called in to help with the crisis, which he didn’t yet know much about.

Ward said he stayed until 11 p.m. and then returned this morning at 6 a.m. One officer on hand at the command center this morning had been working since 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the mayor said.

“I really want to express my appreciation to all of the city workers and the citizens. Everybody was absolutely superb. I did not hear one single complaint,” Ward said.

He said he has been especially impressed that the first question from almost everyone to him has been to inquire whether anyone got hurt. That says something about the community’s character, Ward said.

In the first real test of the city’s emergency preparedness since he took office in 2007, Ward said, “Everything went off without any hitches.”

Ward said he called for state and federal assistance Wednesday to get the wheels in motion for financial and other assistance for anyone seeking help. The city will have overtime costs and its own repair tab, the mayor said.

“It’ll cost us some time and money and labor to get back to normal. But Bristol has always responded well in times of emergency,” Ward said.
I'm not sure who emailed the picture above last night, but thank you for sharing it!

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Two more storm pictures

Here are a couple from Andrew Miller, who also agreed to share them:

That's the basketball court at Rockwell Park. And here's a house in Bristol:

Thank you, Andrew!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Storm photos from Muzzy Field area

Here are some photographs generously shared by Breeann Redman that were taken this evening near Muzzy Field:

Thank you for sharing, Breeann!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Pictures from Divinity Street/Peck Lane area

Here are a few pictures that Nina Dubay generously shared of storm damage this afternoon in the area of Divinity Street and Peck Lane:

Thank you for sharing, Nina!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Storm damage on Blakeslee Street

Pictures from Blakelee Street, courtesy of Gary Hamel:

Thank you for sharing, Gary!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Storm pictures near Birge Pond

My friend Danielle Letourneau took these pictures this afternoon of storm damage on Beech Street and by Birge Pond:

Thanks for sharing them, Danielle!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Storm pictures from Huntington Woods area

Here are some pictures that Joe Bak took in Huntington Woods and nearby:

Thank you, Joe, for sharing your pictures!

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Wicked storm

The storm that slammed Bristol really did a number on the town.
There are trees and limbs down all over the place, including one that clobbered the sign for the Congregational Church on Federal Hill and another that splintered the outfield fence at Muzzy Field.
It looked like Rockwell Park got the worst of it.
To Theresa Jarry, it looked like "a war zone" with all the trees shattered.
The basketball court got two different limbs crashing through parts of its fence. Two trees beside Muzzy Field buried someone's pickup truck. And dozens of trees were tossed hither and yon.
"I'm very surprised with all the trees down," said Christa Finn, who lives beside Muzzy Feld. She said that during the storm she could see wind and rain spinning outside.
Brendan Finn woke up from a nap after hearing a loud crack outside. He peered out the window to see "rain spinning" like a whirlwind.
Martin Finn was coming over Rattlesnake Mountain on Route 6 when the storm hit. He said he saw a big power line come down, arcing electricity in a spectacular show.
He said it took him an hour to find a route home because "every road was cut off" by all the fallen trees and power lines.
Morgan Finn said she was rehearsing at the Congregational Church for the Get Up Stage Company's summer production of "Rent" when the storm hit.
Someone called to warn of a tornado watch, she said, but the company kept on singing.
Then the storm hit, with lights flickering "like something out of a horror movie."
A tree fell outside, she said, and everyone screamed.
Power went out in many places, including the library and City Hall, where the Park Board meeting got KO'd by the storm.
Park employees trying to clean up said they'd rarely seen such a mess.
Police said there were tons of trees down but they didn't think anyone got hurt.

Note: The picture at the top was taken by Angela Ziogas, who kindly gave me permission to post it here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com