Blizzard 2013: East Haven Winter Storm Center

Update at 10:45 a.m.

United Illuminating is now reporting that 140 of their customers in East Haven are still without power this morning. East Haven is one of only three towns in UI's service area that have outages, with Milford at 40 customers out and Bridgeport with only 11.

Update at 10:15 a.m.

Various reports are coming in that East Haven may end up with one of the top overall snow totals in the state, with some 35 inches or more in some spots here.

Those numbers are still unoffficial and have to be verified, but it appears that Winter Storm Nemo did deliver some 3 feet of snow to the town.

Update at 9:40 a.m.

East Haven town officials will be asking for the Connecticut National Guard's assistance in clearing and opening the town's roadways.

In the mean time, they are requesting that residents to remain off the roads, many of which are still impassible.

In addition, the state of emergency for East Haven will continue until further notice, Mayor Maturo said.

Update at 6:45 a.m

United Illuminating is reporting 116 residents are now without power in East Haven, which is just shy of 1 percent of the town.

The National Weather Service reports "the historic storm is gradually winding down." 

And the blizzard warning remains in effect until noon Saturday. 

Here are some snowfall totals, unofficial observations, recorded by the National Weather Service for New Haven County:

• Hamden 34.0 130 AM 2/09 Public
• New Haven 29.8 400 AM 2/09 CT DOT
• North Branford 27.0 243 AM 2/09 Public
• North Haven 25.7 204 AM 2/09 Skywarn Spotter
• North Branford 24.0 1230 AM 2/09 Public

Upate on Saturday at 6:30 a.m.

Governor Malloy has ordered all roads in Connecticut closed until further notice. This traffic ban extends to all vehicles except for those emergency response and recovery vehicles with the capacity to maneuver in heavy snow.

"It's critical right now that residents stay off the roads, so that our plows can continue their efforts to clear our streets and highways," said Governor Malloy.  "This is a record setting storm.  It's going to take time to dig out of the snow.  Stalled or abandoned vehicles will only slow that process.  Unless you face an emergency, please stay put."

Update at 9:20 p.m.

Due to the severity of the blizzard, East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr has declared a state of emergency for the town.

Update at 4 p.m.

Gov. Dannel Malloy today announced that there will be a ban on motor vehicle travel on limited access highways in the State of Connecticut beginning at 4 p.m. His entire press release follows:

These prohibitions do not extend to emergency response and recovery vehicles, including public safety vehicles, utility vehicles, and vehicles carrying essential personnel or supplies.

“As the weather gets worse over the next few hours, we need to keep the roads clear, so that emergency-related personnel and utility crews can reach those that may need our help,” Governor Malloy said.  “By traveling in these conditions, you are not only putting yourself in danger, but you are potentially risking the lives of first responders, utility workers and other residents. Please be safe.”

The travel ban will remain in effect until further notice.

The State of Connecticut coordinated the travel ban with Massachusetts and New York.

Update at 2 p.m.

The Hagaman Memorial Library closed at noon on Friday. And will also be closed for the day Saturday. The library will reopen Monday at 10:00 a.m. The Local Author Showcase event scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. is postponed and will be rescheduled in the spring.

Update at 1 p.m

East Haven Fire Assistant Chief Licata is asking residents who can to please give the department some help in keeping the town's fire hydrants clear of snow. He said it usually takes about two days for firefighters to get them all clear town-wide after a major storm, so any help residents can give would be greatly appreciated.

Update at 12:35 p.m.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy declared a state of emergency due to the blizzard expected to wallop the state Friday through Saturday. He also asked residents to limit non-essential travel during the storm. 

In addition, his office indicated that Malloy is considering closing roads during the storm as early as noon Friday.

Original Post

The following is a press release from the East Haven Mayor's Office.

The Town of East Haven's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be open beginning at 6 p.m. tonight.

Representatives from United Illuminating are expected to be there as conditions permit.

The telephone number for the EOC is 203-466-4176

• Transportation is expected to be close to impossible during the height of the storm, which is expected to be from this evening until Saturday morning.
• Residents are asked to remove all vehicles from the roadway where ever possible; if that is impossible, vehicles should be parked on the even side of the street
• The town will open a shelter if necessary but do to the inability to travel because of the blizzard conditions, this would only be possible after the storm has concluded.
• Residents should return to their homes prior to late this afternoon at the latest and do not attempt to travel until the weather and road conditions permit.

Shoreline residents should take precautions for their vehicles and property as they would normally do for a possible moderate flood event.