Hurricane Irene: Important Montpelier Resident and Business Update

[Gwendolyn Hallsmith]

HURRICANE IRENE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Number 1

August 27, 2011

William J. Fraser, Montpelier City Manager

Hurricane Irene poses a significant threat to Montpelier. We expect flooding conditions similar to those experienced in May. Other dangers include high winds, power outages, washed out roads, downed power lines and trees and similar major storm damage.

Residents and businesses should assume flood conditions. People should NOT wait further notice from the City or State about imminent flooding. Basements prone to flooding should be emptied of merchandise or other valuable material. Furnaces and electrical service in basements should be turned off if possible.

Residents in flood prone areas, such as those evacuated in May, should consider relocating to for the next 48-72 hours. The regional Red Cross emergency shelter will be located at the Barre Auditorium, however people are also urged to stay with friends and families before emergency evacuation becomes necessary. Montpelier City Hall and Berlin Elementary School will serve as interim locations (no food or sleeping accommodations) until people can be safely transported to Barre. Please note that, in the May flood, several routes between Barre and Montpelier were flooded or obstructed. Consider going to the shelter or elsewhere before the situation grows dangerous.

This emergency is occurring simultaneously from North Carolina to Maine. As such, regional safety resources will be stretched to the limit. Each community will be providing services with minimal to no assistance from federal, state or neighboring local governments. The City of Montpelier will be focusing on basic life safety and high priority responses. The City will not be able to provide general assistance such as pumping basements, tree removal, or washout repair.

The storm is expected to hit on Sunday morning with the most rain and highest winds occurring between noon and midnight. Rivers are expected to reach flood stage by 3:00 AM on Monday morning. Citizens are urged to be in a safe place by noon on Sunday and to remain in that place until Monday. Driving will be extremely hazardous due to water on the road, live electrical wires, obstructions such as tree limbs and gravel and unexpected washouts. Please stay home.

To report information such as downed trees or washed out roads, please call City Hall at 223-9500, 223-9502 or 223-9504. Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you have a bona fide life safety emergency.

The City will have an emergency response team in place beginning on Sunday morning through the conclusion of any hurricane and flooding conditions. The City does not, however, have the resources to respond to all situations at all times. Please make your own preparations and take responsibility for your own safety.

Other information:

Do not drive into pooled water on the road. There could be a current and your car can stall.

Do not enter a basement filled with water. It could contain oil and other hazardous material, it could also be energized with live electricity.

Please conserve water use. The city expects to be able to provide continual water supply. However it is possible that the sewer treatment plant could flood. It is important to minimize the amount of water flowing to the sewer plant.

The 60 State Street parking lot will be closed on Sunday morning. All vehicles will be removed from that lot. That is the lowest spot in downtown and extremely vulnerable to flooding.

Empty sand bags are available at the DPW garage on Dog River Road. People will be responsible for filling the bags themselves. Sand bags should be used to divert running water, they are not effective barriers for preventing water from entering buildings.

Vermont Emergency Management will be providing general storm information. Montpelier specific information will be regularly posted on the City website, facebook page and twitter account and also shared with media outlets. Radio Station WDEV (96.1 FM, 550 AM) is providing 24 hour storm coverage. If power is lost, tune into WDEV with a battery powered radio to get storm updates. The City will update WDEV as necessary.

The City of Montpelier has officially issued the preceding statement related to Hurricane Irene. This statement is based upon information received from the National Weather Service and Vermont Emergency Management as well as the emergency response strategy developed by the City of Montpelier.

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__________________________________
Gwendolyn Hallsmith

gwe...@gmail.com

work address:

Director, Department of Planning and Community Development
City Hall
39 Main Street
Montpelier, VT  05602
ghall...@montpelier-vt.org
802-223-9506