Governor M. Jodi Rell today led a multi-agency briefing – held at the state’s Emergency Operations Center – to help prepare Connecticut officials for the threat of a hurricane striking the state. Governor Rell had directed the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to organize the briefing. The agency officials also worked through an exercise that centered on the potential effects of a direct hit on the state by a Category 3 hurricane – a storm with sustained winds of 111 mph to 130 mph.
Components of the exercise included discussions of potential tidal surges, evacuation planning and routes, debris management and clean-up plans.
“There is a real possibility this year’s hurricane season will be a bad one,” Governor Rell said. “In fact, forecasters have said this year’s season – which began June 1 and ends November 30, has an 85 percent chance of being more severe than usual. We have a responsibility to be prepared to cope with a crippling storm, which means we need to know in advance about the threats and the resources available to respond.
“Training and education, along with excellent equipment, are the best defenses we have,” the Governor said. “If a storm strikes, I want our state to be as ready as we can possibly be.”
Major storms occur on a periodic basis. Connecticut is considered “overdue” for both a Category 1 hurricane (with sustained winds from 74-95 mph) and a Category 4 storm (with sustained winds from 131-155 mph).
