The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
LATE WINTER NOR’EASTER
Residents dig out after icy, cold, snowy storm
MIDDLETOWN >> A March nor’easter dumped nearly a foot and a half of heavy, wet snow in some portions of the state Tuesday in a slow-moving storm that hovered over the area for much of the day.
In Middletown’s North End, residents were shoveling about 7 inches from their walkways and cars by 6:30 p.m. Monday, with more possible going into the evening hours. Other portions of the city saw 10.6 inches, the National Weather Service reported.
Up to 14 inches of snow had been expected for the Middletown area, according to earlier NWS predictions.
Precipitation totals varied widely across Connecticut — the National Centers for Environmental Prediction reported as much as 18 inches in East Granby, 16 inches in a portion of Salisbury and between 14.5 and 15 inches in Burlington, Winsted and Avon. By Tuesday evening, schools had not yet made the call to delay classes on Wednesday.
“It is my expectation that we can get back to normal tomorrow,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Early Tuesday, a nursing home employee was hit by a private snow plow in her work parking lot. She is in stable condition at Hartford Hospital, according to police.
Authorities were called to Apple Rehab Middletown on Highland Avenue at 6:11 a.m. about a woman who had come to work early due to the weather, ran out to her car to retrieve something and was struck by the snow plow, according to Middletown Police Lt. Heather Desmond.
South Fire District Robert Ross said the victim suffered “pretty severe in-
juries” after the plow accidentally backed over her.
In Portland, town crews struggled to stay on top of the storm, as a possible change in temperature could complicate matters in the evening.
“Rain, (which is) supposed to come this afternoon, and then (temperatures) in the teens tonight could make it interesting,” Portland Director of Public Works Richard D. Kelsey said in an email Tuesday. “Roads are getting slippery. We are putting chains on some of the trucks now.”
Just before 2 p.m., Cromwell Director of Public Works Louis J. Spina said, “I think we’re OK. I think the worst of it is over.”
Portland Fire Chief Robert A. Shea, the town’s emergency management director, was monitoring the situation throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
“Hunters (Ambulance) has a unit on standby at Company #2,” Shea said.
A full parking ban was in effect, called by Lt. Ron Milardo, said Portland First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield.
In East Hampton, Town Hall was closed due to inclement weather for the first time in 4.5 years, Town Manager Michael Maniscalco said.
“It’s hard to ask people to come to work when they can’t drive on the roads,” Maniscalco said, referencing Malloy’s travel ban, which was in effect from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Still, at least one person ignored the travel ban. Director of Finance Jeffrey M. Jylkka was at work in the basement office in Town Hall Tuesday morning.
“Right now, we are holding our own,” Maniscalco said in an email. “All of our plows are on the road. Our supplies of salt and fuel are at full capacity. The (police department) has a full shift with 4-by-4 vehicles.”
In Cromwell, operations were proceeding apace, Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore said in a latemorning telephone call. As the storm continued, the priority remained keeping the main roads open.
Director of Public Works Louis J. Spina said crews worked all day Monday putting plows on trucks and topping them off to be ready for the storm.
“This is one thing they are really good at. They work well under these circumstances,” Spina said of his crews.
The town relies on a Weather Works, a New Jersey-based weather forecasting company, for detailed forecasts.
“They give you a forecast specific to your ZIP code,” Spina said, adding that officials have been pleased with the company’s accuracy. “They’ll call and contact you 45 to 60 minutes before the storm starts and tell you, ‘You can expect some precipitation in the next so many minutes.’”
Weather Works will contact Highway Foreman Neil Swanson, who will then make the determination as to when and how many crew members to call in, Spina said.
Just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, Spina said, “I think the bulk of it is behind us.”
“All the roads are open to one degree or another, and now with this pause, they are getting a chance to open them up and widen them out more,” Salvatore said during a joint telephone conversation with the two officials. “The highway department crews did an outstanding job.”
Tuesday morning, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew advised people to exact caution until the bulk of the weather system ended.
“People need to stay off the roads,” he said. “It makes it vastly easier for us to do our jobs and for us to move emergency vehicles and plow trucks through.”
He also recommended people adhere to the parking ban.
“We are towing during the parking ban,” he said. “We don’t want to do it, but we will if we need to get a vehicle out of the way for plow trucks.”
Meanwhile, city fire crews stocked up on extra personnel and additional apparatus, hoping for a quiet day.
The statewide travel ban kept the need for emergency response low compared to when other storms have hit the state, the governor said Tuesday during a press conference.
Malloy said he was happy Connecticut residents were for the most part “staying put,” and he encouraged third-shift employees to refrain from going to work. He encouraged people to stay put until roads had been cleared.
“I want to thank all of the residents of our great state for heeding the warnings and staying safe during this storm,” Malloy said.
Connecticut State Police had responded to 86 calls to assist motorists, including 28 accidents, as of 1 p.m., Malloy said. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.
In some areas across the state, the snow changed to sleet by midday, making cleanup tedious and difficult.