Southwick Emergency Management Director Charles Dunlap examines a set of documents in the town’s Emergency Management Center in the basement of the Southwick Town Hall prior to last year’s October storm which left many residents without power for a week or more. (File photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – While residents have been rushing to prepare for Hurricane Sandy, Southwick Emergency Management Director Charles Dunlap has been calmly coordinating the town’s preparations.
Dunlap said Sunday evening that “just about all our preparedness has been done.” A conference call with the state Sunday night was followed by coordination with town department heads and, as Dunlap stated, all that was left was “to wait.”
“Our biggest concern is power outages,” Dunlap said. “And restoration might not be immediate because of the high winds, which is expected to continue for an extended period.”
Dunlap said there was pre-planning done with Western Massachusetts Electric Company, which staged a command center in town after last year’s October snowstorm.
“We’re always apprehensive,” said Dunlap. “You have to expect the unexpected.”
Dunlap said the one thing he is concerned about is downed branches.
“Hangers could come down and block culverts and rivers,” he said. “If one culvert gets blocked, you could have 20 blocked at the same time.”
Dunlap said there has been “good cooperation” among departments in town. He added that lessons learned from last year’s tornado, tropical storm and snowstorm helped them prepare.
As a precaution, all Southwick town meetings have been cancelled for this evening.
At the Cumberland Farms in Russell, customers looking only for gas were turned away.
A clerk who identified herself as Amy said they ran out of gas early Sunday.
“We ran out sometime around 10 a.m. this morning,” she said. “At this point, we don’t know when we will get more, but it could be a while.”
A resident reported via Facebook today that the store did receive gas last night.
Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) crews are ready to respond to the power outages that are likely to impact western Massachusetts and a large portion of New England, beginning today, due to Hurricane Sandy. WMECo is also reminding its customers to prepare for outages.
The current forecast for western Massachusetts calls for rainwith winds increasing and lasting into tomorrow. Based on the significance of this storm power outages are likely and customers are urged to be prepared. All WMECo employees are committed to their storm assignments, which may be different from their regular jobs, to help ensure a high level of customer service during this storm.
Customers should consider how they will respond, especially in the event of a power outage that lasts for several days. Review your family emergency preparedness plan, and obtain supplies – such as water, batteries and fuel for any emergency generator. Tips and reminders on how to prepare are posted on the WMECo web site.
The large and powerful storm could affect as many as 60 million people in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and the Red Cross has workers and relief supplies in place to provide help to people in the path of Sandy. The effects of the storm are already being felt with 128 people spending Saturday night in Red Cross shelters in North Carolina and Virginia. Red Cross workers are preparing to open and support more shelters today as the storm moves northward.
“The Red Cross has several shelters on standby throughout central and western MA, ready to open quickly if needed,” said Dawn Leaks, Red Cross Regional Director of Communications. “This storm is dangerous and it’s critical to follow the advice of local emergency officials. If people are told to evacuate, they need to do it.”
To find a shelter, people can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross web site, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), and check thewestfieldnews.com. They should also register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website, a secure and easy-to-use online tool that helps families connect during emergencies. To register, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). This site also connects with the Twitter and Facebook accounts of users.
To see a video report posted at 7 a.m. by the National Hurricane Center, click here.
