Town officials are closely monitoring weather forecasts in anticipation of a major snow event beginning overnight tonight through Wednesday.
Blizzard conditions, downed tree limbs, and power outages are possible. The Town of Darien is making all necessary preparations for a prolonged event and asks all residents to do likewise.
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— an announcement from Darien Police Department
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Any travel on local roads Tuesday and into Wednesday is strongly discouraged should current weather forecasts prove accurate.
Here are some storm preparations recommended by Eversource and the Darien Police Department:
- Build an Emergency Kit with essential items to meet the unique needs of your family. To help build your kit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a detailed checklist available.
- Stock up on non-perishables, such as canned goods and pet food, and make sure you have adequate medical supplies and prescriptions for yourself and your pets.
- Pick up some paper goods: paper plates, paper towels, plastic ware.
- Turn the temperature controls on your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting to keep food cold in the event of a power outage.
- Keep flashlights, batteries, candles and matches on hand and make sure they are available throughout the house.
- Have a battery-powered radio available.
- Make sure you have fresh batteries that are the correct size for the flashlights and radio. Be sure there’s a first aid kit in the house.
- Have extra gasoline on hand if you own an electric generator.
- Place a list of emergency numbers near a phone (landline, since cordless phones don’t work during outages) and in your mobile phone: Red Cross, fire, police, family doctor.
- Invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). During a momentary power outage, the UPS will continue to provide power to your personal computer. (A UPS is not designed to operate a computer indefinitely, only long enough to allow users time to save their work and shut down properly.)
- If you have an emergency generator, please make sure it is ready for use in accordance with all safety recommendations. Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are operating properly. Significant snow accumulations also can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if boiler and generator vents become obstructed. Please clear around vents periodically during the storm.
Two others concerns are wind and minor coastal flooding. Wind could gust in excess of 35 mph. which would reduce visibility in heavier snow. Residents are encouraged to secure items that may be prone to blowing around and or wind damage. Minor coastal flooding is possible during high tide cycles on Tuesday, especially west of New Haven.
Please do not call 911 for routine storm questions as these lines must remain open for emergency communications. The Police Department routine number is 662-5300.
The Department of Public Works will be working around the clock to clear our roads. Blizzard conditions make that work dangerous for plow drivers and pedestrians. Please stay away from roadways and on coming plows. We recommend waiting for 8 hours after the snow event ends before shoveling sidewalks as town and state plows will move snow onto sidewalks.
Predicted accumulations will significantly reduce visibility in intersections. Please use caution whether in a vehicle or on foot. Do not walk in roadways as plows are clearing the streets and caution children to keep away from roadways at all times.
We also encourage residents to look after neighbors who may be less than able to deal with an event such as this.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Storm Emergency Numbers to Know:
– For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
– For non-life threatening emergencies, such as flooding, call dispatch at 203-662-5300.
– Report downed electrical wires: call 911 and Eversource at 1-800-286-2000.
– Report a power outage to Eversource at 1-800-286-2000 or at eversource.com.