Crime & Safety

Woodbridge and Bethany Release Emergency Shelter Information

Woodbridge police recommending evacuation of low-lying areas.

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on New England, emergency workers are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. The storm is expected to make landfall in Connecticut during the early morning hours on Sunday, and both Woodbridge and Bethany are in the process of readying emergency shelters.

According to Deputy Police Chief Ray Stuart, the town of Woodbridge is strongly suggesting residents living in the lower southeast area of town evacuate to higher ground because of the potential for flooding.

“If they choose to remain at home,” Stuart said, “we recommend they have 72 hours worth of non-perishable food on hand. We are advising them that they may lose power.”

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

Stuart also said in the past residents of that area have been trapped and lost the ability to leave their property.

“If we get anywhere close to the 10 inches they are predicting,” Stuart said, “we will have flooding.”

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

Woodbridge will open the emergency shelter in the Center Building at 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information residents can visit the Woodbridge Police Department website or call town hall. Also, the police website has a link to CT Alert where residents can sign up to receive updates and emergency information.

Bethany has also launched into full-scale emergency preparation. According to Fire Marshal Rod White, the Bethany Community School will open at 9 a.m. on Monday morning for those who need it for shelter or support.

“We wanted to wait until after the event,” White said, “and have it open as a recovery shelter. People will be able to use the facilities or take a quick shower.”

There is a generator at the school, but White is not sure if there will be enough power to cook food. He expects they may be able to offer coffee.

“Be prepared to be on your own for a period of time,” White said. “The shelter will be there if you need it afterwards.”

White said senior citizens need to be especially well prepared and have contact with neighbors, friends and relatives.

“If you can find somewhere safer to go to,” he said, “you should go, although I don’t know where that would be as it looks like the entire state is going to be affected. We’re just going to keep our fingers crossed.”

To sign up to receive messages from Bethany's Code Red Program, click here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.