Community Corner

Hurricane Sandy: Granby And East Granby Information Center: Wednesday Morning Update

Check back for updates about Granby and East Granby as the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is dealt with.

Wednesday Morning Update; 10:30 a.m.

The Emergency Shelter located at the Senior/Community Center is open today for those in need of shelter, water, warming and charging stations.

Approximately 24 percent of East Granby - from the corner of Seymour and Spoonville to the south, the corner of Newgate and Route 20 to the Granby border - is without power, according to First Selectman Jim Hayden. Hayden is currently working with CL&P for a restoration estimate.

Find out what's happening in Granby-East Granbywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

East Granby public schools are closed today, Wednesday. Oct. 31. Granby public schools are open today.

Halloween trick-or-treating has not been discouraged in either town, but officials in Granby and East Granby are asking residents to follow some important safety recommendations that are available here.

Find out what's happening in Granby-East Granbywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Granby-East Granby Patch is asking readers to help make trick-or-treating a safe and fun success in the two towns this year by sharing information about their neighborhoods. If your street or neighborhood has power and is clear of debris and other hazards — if you would let your own kids trick or treat on your street tonight — tell us by following this link and posting to the comments section or sending an email to perry.robbin@patch.com.

A community-sourced update to the article linked above, listing safe areas to trick or treat will be posted midday today, giving parents peace of mind and kids a chance to take part in an important tradition that many missed entirely or had severely curtailed in 2011.

Granby’s senior and youth center (15 North Granby Road, Granby) will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, offering potable water, MREs, charging and warming stations. The Lost Acres Fire Department main station on Salmon Brook Street will provide similar services during the hours the senior and youth center isn’t open.

Granby’s emergency operations center and shelter were still on standby as of the end of business Tuesday. It may be activated if power outages continue to climb or other serious, unforeseen events occur, although such events are unlikely. Smith and other town officials have toured damaged areas and done their part to ensure those parts of town are rendered safe and functional again.

“It seems to be over, but it’s not really over,” said Granby Town Manager Bill Smith of the storm, referencing the ongoing recovery efforts. “The biggest problem is getting power restored.”

The exact nature of work to be performed by CL&P Wednesday wasn’t clear Tuesday night, but power outages were down from 1,045 of 4,700 customers without power, 24 percent of all customers, to 638 customers without power, or 13 percent, early Wednesday morning.

Smith said the town didn’t incur much physical damage to its facilities; the largest expenses involved overtime pay for public works employees and police officers. Private residences and businesses were also largely spared, although the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy to some homes and businesses should not be understated.

“I’m glad we didn’t have anything near what we were expecting or what we had a year ago” Smith said.

In East Granby, that town’s shelter, located at its own community and senior center, has been active since Monday night but will begin to wind down Wednesday as more power is restored. The center will still provide warming and charging services during regular business hours.

First Selectman Jim Hayden said that a significant amount of power has been restored to Route 187 in East Granby and CL&P should be doing more work tomorrow.

“Everything is under control but we still need to restore power,” Hayden said.

East Granby saw significant power restoration by the end of the day Tuesday. The number of residents without power went down from 858 of 2,603 total customers without power, 32 percent overall, on Tuesday afternoon to 631 customers without power, 24 percent overall, early Wednesday morning.

Tuesday 4 p.m. update

Granby public schools will open tomorrow. We will have an East Granby public schools update as soon as possible.

A short update for now as things have begun to settle down in Granby and East Granby — not great comfort to those who don't have power, but keep in mind that tree removal is well underway (and almost entirely completed in Granby) and restoration efforts will begin soon.

Granby is offering charging and warming, water and MREs at the Lost Acres Fire Department central station on Salmon Brook Street (Routes 10 and 202) when the senior and youth services center, open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., isn't operational. Granby officials haven't yet deactivated the town's emergency operations center (EOC), it is still on standby. They are monitoring the situation with power outages in town before deactivating.

East Granby's emergency shelter, located at the senior/community center (20 Center St., East Granby, CT), is open through the evening. Dinner will be served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Water and coffee are always available, as well as warming and charging areas.

Power outage updates from CL&P: Granby – 1,045 of 4,700 customers without power, 24 percent of all customers. East Granby – 858 of 2,603 customers without power, 32 percent of all customers.

Overall, the state of Connecticut has 35 percent of all residents without power.

Tuesday 10:30 am. update

Here's the latest news, straight from town officials in Granby and East Granby.

Jim Hayden, First Selectman, East Granby: "The Town has activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan and its Emergency Operations Center. Town Offices will open at 10 a.m. this morning.

"The emergency shelter, located at the senior/community center (20 Center St., East Granby, CT) is open today and we are prepared to provide food, shelter, water, warming and charging stations. We will keep residents informed via the web, on WTIC Radio and Channel 3 television.

"Stay safe! Assume downed electric lines are live!

"Approximately 37 percent of the town (South End, Hatchet Hill, Turkey Hills and Copper Hill areas) is without power and we are working with CL&P to get an approximate time for restoration."

AnneMarie Heller Cox, Granby Youth Services Bureau Director and Shelter Coordinator: "The Senior/Youth center is open until 4 p.m. We have coffee brewing, and plenty of places to plug in and charge your cell phones and laptops.

We are not opening as a full-service shelter at this time. However, the Senior Center staff has been reaching out to known, at-risk residents in the areas without power to work on a case-by-case basis to find appropriate help to keep them safe until power is restored.

If you know someone in Granby without power who has special needs (health issues, young children, mobility concerns etc.) and does not have a plan for where to go until power is restored, please contact our office. We will make every effort to assist them in finding a solution. The number is (860) 844-5350."

East Granby's shelter will offer as water and coffee throughout the day Tuesday. It will stay open to serve lunch (noon to 1 p.m.), dinner (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and provide a place for people to get warm and charge devices and get some shelter.

Many businesses, town offices and other groups and organizations are open today, but it's always a good idea to call ahead before making the trip. You can find the numbers for most businesses, organizations and offices in our directory.

We want your photos, videos and stories from Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. You can add them to this article.

If your business is closed or operating under reduced hours, post that information in the comments section or send it to perry.robbin@patch.com.

Tuesday Morning Update

Granby and East Granby public schools are closed today, Tuesday, Oct. 30.

An apartment fire at Turkey Hills apartments and live wires down on Hatchet Hill Road in East Granby were a few serious, late night occurences Monday, but Granby and East Granby faired comparatively well following the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Lacking much of the catastrophic long-term damage that occured along the Connecticut shoreline and in other parts of the state and the country, Granby and East Granby still had to face strong winds and powerful (at times) rains as well as power outages, which are ongoing for a number of residents of the two towns.

As of late Monday night, the worst of Hurricane Sandy had passed. Granby and East Granby weren't hit nearly as hard as other towns in the area although East Granby did have 859 of 2603 total CL&P customers, 33 percent of all customers in town, without power late Monday night. Granby had 272 of 4,700 CL&P customers, just 5 percent of the total customers in town, without power late Monday.

East Granby activated its EOC and shelter because First Selectman Jim Hayden didn't want to have a need that couldn't be met. He was aware and concerned that fully one-third of the town was without power Monday night.

"We're working with CL&P to get [restoration of power] expedited," Hayden said.

The East Granby shelter was used by some residents Monday night. It will serve breakfast Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. as well as water and coffee as long as it is open Tuesday. It may stay open to serve lunch (noon to 1 p.m.), dinner (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), provide a place for people to get warm and charge devices and get some shelter depending on how much is accomplished by CL&P crews Monday night and Tuesday morning.

An update on the shelter's status is expected Tuesday morning and will be posted as soon as it is available on Granby-East Granby Patch.

Granby officials decided not to activate its emergency operations center (EOC) or open the town's emergency shelter because they didn't perceive a need — that decision was backed up by statistics as only about 5 percent of the town was without power around 9 p.m. Monday. The town did prepare the shelter and EOC for activation and distributed food and water from the Granby senior center throughout the day Monday.

Granby police said, apart from some minor incidents, the town was "all quiet" Monday night.

As many businesses are making individual decisions to open, close early or remain closed for the duration of the storm and/or its immediate aftermath, we are asking business owners and managers to pass along information about their businesses.

So far, we know Geissler's will open on a regular schedule tomorrow as will Stop & Shop.

Post your business information in the comments section or send it to perry.robbin@patch.com.

Monday 5:30 p.m. Update

Power outage updates from CL&P: Granby – 192 of 4,700 customers without power, 4 percent of all customers. in Granby East Granby – 610 of 2,603 customers without power, 23 percent of all customers in East Granby.

Granby has closed the senior/community center, which had been providing food and water, for the time being. But officials will meet tonight to determine if the shelter needs to be opened. Check back for more updates.

The following are recently reported incidents in Granby and East Granby:

  • A transformer fire on Route 20 at Granger Circle (near the Rails to Trails path and the border between the towns) was reported around 4:40 p.m. The area is secure and the road is open.
  • The stoplight in the center of Granby at the intersection of Route 20 and Routes 10 and 202 is currently not working, although emergency personnel are fixing the situation. Treat the intersection as an all-way stop until the lights return.
  • A tree was reported down at 100 Case Street in Granby near the intersection with Knollwood Lane around 4:30 p.m. The tree also took out power lines. Police and CL&P crews are on-site, working to fix the situation.
  • A tree fell, blocking the roadway and causing power outages on Powder Mill Lane in Granby. Granby DPW workers and police are working to fix the situation.
  • A utility pole is leaning into the road between 120 and 126 Silkey Road in Granby. Emergency crews are responding to the situation.

Despite these incidents, Granby police said the general storm situation is under control and no especially severe problems have occured.

East Granby's shelter is open for the night at 20 Center St., East Granby. The shelter provides food, shelter, water, warming and charging stations.

Monday 3 p.m. Update

East Granby has activated its emergency shelter and will provide food, shelter, water, warming and charging stations to those in need. The shelter is located at 20 Center St., East Granby, CT.

Granby hasn’t activated its shelter but it is prepared and ready to go. The town is offering assistance in the form of food and water at the shelter location (15 North Granby Road, Granby) through 4 p.m.

From Director of Youth Services AnneMarie Heller Cox: “The Town of Granby has bottled water and MREs available for residents to pick up at the Senior/Youth Services building during normal business hours today. ”

Granby officials are encouraging residents to sign up with the CTAlert system to receive updates from the town about the shelter and other emergency information.

Business Updates: Phillips 66 in East Granby (150 Rainbow Road, on Route 20) has fuel as of 2 p.m., as do Cumberland Farms and Food Bag on Hartford Ave. in Granby.

Stop & Shop has food, water and batteries (but no D-cells) and will be open until 11 p.m. Geissler’s didn’t answer calls to its corporate office or Granby location and is presumably closed. CVS in Granby closed at 3 p.m.

New England Pizza (518 Salmon Brook Street, Granby) will remain open until 9 p.m. unless there are extenuating circumstances. Thanks to the owners for passing along that information.

An update from Granby Pharmacy's blog: "Granby Pharmacy is closed for now, until Hurricane Sandy moves through our area.  If you have an emergency pharmacy issue, please call Mike at 860-558-3306."

As many businesses are making individual decisions to open, close early or remain closed for the duration of the storm, we are asking business owners and managers to pass along information about their businesses. Post your information in the comments section or send it to perry.robbin@patch.com.

Power updates as of 3 p.m.: Granby has 232 CL&P customers without power, about 4 percent of total customers. East Granby has 330 customers without power, about 12 percent of total customers.

Monday Morning Update

East Granby has activated its emergency operations center (EOC) East Granby's shelter wil open at 2 p.m. at East Granby's senior and community center (20 Center St East Granby, CT). All East Granby town offices and services will close at noon.

"We are prepared to provide food, shelter, water, warming and charging stations," said First Selectman Jim Hayden. "We will keep residents informed via the web and on WTIC Radio and Channel 3 television."

Granby has activated its EOC. The town has not yet activated its shelter but is prepared to do so. An announcement about the shelter will be made this afternoon. If activated, the shelter would be located at the Granby Senior Center.

Granby town offices and services are open as of 11 a.m. — except for the Youth Service Bureau and the Senior Center, which are both closed — but it is suggested to call ahead and make sure things haven't changed before making the trip out to Town Hall or other town buildings.

Granby officials are encouraging residents to sign up with the CTAlert system to receive updates from the town.

Both Granby and East Granby have no reported power outages. Most businesses are open. If you know of a business that has closed or will close because of the storm, tell us in the comments.

State highways will close to non-emergency traffic at 1 p.m. today, so I-91 and I-84 won't be accessible.

Sunday Night Update

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning and a flood Watch advisory for our region. According to the advisory we should expect "damaging winds across much [of] Southern New England Monday and Monday evening."

Granby and East Granby town officials are ready to respond to the storm but have not yet activated their emergency operations centers, although officials are aware of the severity of the storm and pre-activation protocols are being followed. East Granby has activated its emergency preparedness plan and Granby First Selectman John Adams said the town is ready to respond to whatever conditions the storm may bring.

Check back Monday and throughout the week for updates from town officials, businesses and more. The most recent official updates are available here for East Granby and here for Granby (on the town's website).

Original Article

Helpful stories, links and tips:

  • Granby-East Granby Information Center: Check here for daily updates as Hurricane Sandy progresses.
  • Hurricane Sandy Connecticut Live Blog: Find out what's happening across the state during the storm.

Shelter Information

  • Shelters in Granby and East Granby are not yet open. Check back with Granby-East Granby Patch for shelter information as they are activated.

School Closings

  • Granby and East Granby schools will be closed on Monday, October 29, 2012.

Fuel, Food, Batteries, Etc.—Who's Got It?

  • Cumberland Farms — 19 Hartford Ave, Granby, CT, 06035 as of Oct. 28 at 11:30 p.m.
  • Granby-East Granby Patch will check in with Food Bag, Cumberland Farms, Geissler's, CVS, Stop & Shop and other businesses Monday morning to provide updates.

Emergency Communications

As we hunker down to ride out Hurricane Sandy, we want to make sure that Granby and East Granby stay connected. For live updates during the storm, be sure to download our App for your smartphone or tablet and follow us on Twitter. You can also 'like' Granby-East Granby Patch  on Facebook.

And if you've already liked us, keep in mind that Facebook has made some changes recently that mean you are seeing fewer of Granby-East Granby Patch's posts in your newsfeed. Because we spend a lot of time not only posting links to all the important informational content on our Facebook page, but also lots of other fun stuff and photos when a serious storm isn't brewing, we wanted to share with you a cool new Facebook feature to make sure you don't miss a thing!

Here's what you do:

  • Hover over the Granby-East Granby Patch name on this post. When the box pops up, hover over the 'Liked' box. 
  • Make sure the 'show in newsfeed' is checked off.
  • Click 'add to interests list'
  • Name your list if you have not already created one, like Granby-East Granby Patch.
  • Now, when you want to make sure that you have not missed anything from Branford Patch on Facebook, just click on the interest down the left rail of your Facebook newsfeed page.

As you send us messages through social media, email (perry.robbin@patch.com) and text message (860-508-9223), we’ll make sure the information is added here to this story. You can also add information in the comments section below.

If you notice wires down or a tree across the road, please alert the authorities and then let us know so we can spread the word quickly. You can comment right on this story to make sure readers know what’s going on in your neighborhood.

The affects of Irene are hard for us to forget and at times, water and batteries were scarce about town. You can share info about where to find these items and who has gotten the latest delivery by commenting here.

Granby-East Granby Patch is all about connecting neighbors and helping neighbors so we hope you’ll find this information hub helpful as we brave the storm together. Stay safe out there!


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