NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) — City leaders in Norwich told residents near the Yantic River to “be prepared to evacuate in the event the river begins to flood excessively.”
Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to hit Connecticut Friday night and into Saturday morning, just days after Norwich experienced significant flooding.
“Yantic River could reach historic levels, which could create a public safety emergency,” city officials said.
Norwich residents are urged to remain alert overnight.
“In the event an evacuation is required, you will receive another notification via your phone,” city officials said. “When leaving your home, please avoid any streets in your neighborhood that are prone to flooding, as we saw earlier this week.”
If an evacuation is ordered, Kelly Middle School will serve as a community shelter. In the event of an emergency, or if you cannot evacuate your home, call 911 immediately.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) said they have inspected and repaired the Fitchville Pond dam in Bozrah that was compromised earlier this week, temporarily shutting down one of its substations.
Norwich Public Utilities closely monitoring severe weather
Along with state officials, Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) said they are closely monitoring the Fitchville Pond dam.
“The past six weeks have been a very challenging stretch of weather – for our customers and our organization,” NPU General Manager Chris LaRose said. “But just like the residents of Norwich, NPU is resilient and hard-working, and we are taking all of the necessary steps today so that we can respond as needed tomorrow.”
The utility company said they have taken the following steps over the last two days to prepare for the next round of severe weather:
- Having all vehicles inspected and fueled
- Confirming adequate supplies of all necessary materials and equipment
- Assuring appropriate staffing for all critical functions of NPU, including the Line and Natural Gas Departments, Water and Wastewater Divisions, Customer Service, Communications, GIS, Information Technology, as well as maintenance mechanics and engineers
- Testing of all internal communications and external equipment
- Having contractor tree crews available on standby
- Staging the City’s Emergency Operation Center so that it can be activated within minutes should it become necessary
NPU customers can report an outage, disruption, or other problem with your utility service by calling 860-887-2555. Click here to view NPU’s outage map.
Do not go near downed power lines, poles or damaged electrical equipment. Call 911 in an emergency.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.