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Community Corner

Portland to Set Up Command Center

East Hampton to open emergency shelter.

Officials in Portland will be watching Irene and damage reports in a special command center.

First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield says the town will opening an Emergency Operations Center at 12 a.m. on Sunday in the Buck-Foreman Building next to police headquarters on Main Street.

The center will be led by Fire Chief Robert Shea and will closely monitor information coming in from a variety of sources including reports from fire, police and ambulance personnel. They will be keeping close watch on emergency calls from the public. Portland will also be working with state officials and be in contact with the governor at the state command center in Hartford.

Once the command center is functioning, a decision will be made if and when to open the emergency shelter at Portland High School.

East hampton has already decided to open its shelter at the high school at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Bransfield said town residents should try to stay in their homes if at all possible, or stay with relatives or friends.  

Governor Dannel Malloy today in a televised news conference urged evacuation of people living near rivers or streams that are prone to flooding in the past. Bransfield said that fortunately "we have few places like that in Portland."

There have been warnings from federal agencies that widespread power outages can be expected during the hurricane. 

Connecticut Light and Power has been calling customers to say outages as long as four days might be expected.

State officials are also expecting flooding.  

Bransfield was asked if any steps were being taken to protect town buildings and homes and businesses that were damaged by flooding on July 8. She said town crews have worked hard clearing drainage systems like storm drains and culverts.

Portland is still looking for ways to help homeowners who sustained severe damage in the flash flooding on July 8. Five town buildings including Brownstone Intermediate School were also badly damaged.

A meeting is scheduled for Sept. 7 where federal representatives will brief impacted residents about that storm in which more than five inches of rain fell.

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