Gordon Joseloff First Selectman

pologies for not posting for a while. Last week’s back-to-back storms kept me busy.

With more than 4,000 Westport homes without power at one point, I figured my time was better spent working on storm-related problems rather than writing the blog (which many people could not have seen anyway).

If you did have power, there was information on the town Web site (http://www.westportct.gov,) on WestportNow (http://www.westportnow.com), on the radio (WWPT 90.3 FM), and on the phone (22power or 227-9637).

It was one of those storms where Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) acknowledges it was caught short on the Saturday night/Sunday morning of the holiday weekend. The utility moved a mobile emergency command center into Westport (at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector) Monday morning.

With the help of our police, fire, and public works crews, CL&P was able to deploy the manpower it did have where it was needed most. The bitter cold of the Sunday/Monday did not help. By Monday night, there were still 1,1,00 Westport homes without power.

By Tuesday afternoon, that number was down to a little more than 200 and down to about a dozen by midnight.

But Wednesday morning brought more high winds and more outages. I canceled several morning meetings and accompanied Fire Chief Chris Ackley on several calls. 

On one of them on Moss Ledge Road, I watched as Chief Ackley and Inspector Nate Gibbons teamed up to shut down a gas line after a tree crashed into a house and tore off a gas meter.

You could hear the whoosh of the high-pressure gas line and smell a heavy gas presence as they worked by themselves with no backup to make safe a potentially very dangerous situation.

The rain made the ground very soggy and many towering trees toppled over before the day was over. Fortunately the temperature moderated from the bitter cold of the weekend.

Progress was slow in restoring power, much to my frustration and that of Westport resident and CL&P executive Chris Swan. Chris kept me closely informed as to the progress in getting power back. But it was too slow for all of us.

I made calls to many residents who CL&P told me were without power. In some cases, the information was dated or wrong. But I did get through to a number of people who were in the dark. I asked if I could stop by to see one elderly couple.

“No, we’re in bed and staying here,” was the response from the man of the house.

By Thursday might, there were still almost 400 Westport customers without power. By Friday night, the number was down to about 30. Saturday brought some new winds but not as bad as earlier in the week. Still, two dozen homes were out Saturday night.

By Sunday morning, CL&P said everyone was back on line.

We all should learn lessons from what happened. I am reviewing our response with our emergency management team and have told CL&P I expect them to follow up so we know where improvements can be made for the next time.

But I cannot stress enough that Westport residents must be prepared with emergency supplies of your own – extra food, flashlight and batteries, and battery-operated radio. If you need the Westport emergency information card, call my office at 341-1111 and we’ll get one to you.

For those of you who can afford it, I recommend that you look into purchasing a generator. You can get a small one to power the essentials or do a larger installation. I made the investment at my home some years ago and am glad I did.

As first selectman, my prime responsibility is the health and safety of our town and its residents. I will do everything in my power to do my best in this regard, but you being as prepared as possible for such emergencies will make my job a lot easier.