WEST HAVEN, Conn. — As New Englanders approach peak hurricane season, the city of West Haven is tightening up its preparedness plans.
Public safety officials from emergency operations, police, fire, health, public works and other departments came together at City Hall Wednesday morning to discuss what’s working and what they’re planning to change in the future.
“I think we’re in good shape. But we are a shoreline community, 3.2 miles of beach. Largest in the state. It’s going to flood, and we’ve got to be able to get people to safety,” said Rick Fontana, West Haven’s newest director of Emergency Operations.
Fontana said though hurricane season already began in June, the shoreline usually sees the worst of it around August and September.
“One thing we will be doing, we will be providing updates to every single elected official in the city. There will be nobody in the dark,” Fontana said during his presentation to the room full of first responders and city leaders.
Fontana said he and others have created the city’s first-ever evacuation plan, which would likely be used in a scenario with widespread flooding or damage.
“Some more tools, you know. We’re trying to make the shoreline and some of our areas that frequently flood, trying to make the more resilient. I think we’ve done a pretty good job on the shoreline, now it’s time to do the bridges,” Fontana said.
A major pain point for the city during rain events is near the Campbell Avenue bridge, which floods often.
“Campbell Ave and Washington Ave are huge issues for us. People don’t turn around, people become stuck (and) have to be rescued by the fire department,” Fontana said.
Starting now, Fontana said they are working on plans to put gates near the underpass to prevent people from getting stuck during storms.
“We want it to be successful because we think it is a small price that could save someone’s life,” Fontana said.
As public safety officials make changes on their end, they’re calling on the public to do its part, too.
“Being prepared is a partnership. We do all that we can as a city and we make sure our infrastructure and our plans are in place. But we have to make sure we inform our residents about what those preparedness guidelines are,” said West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer. “We know that storms can create ramification that impact our infrastructure, our public safety, the health of our residents.”
One thing city leaders are asking residents to do is to sign up for their emergency alert system. This way, if there is an emergency, the city will have your contact information to be able to reach you by phone, text, or email. It’s something most municipalities in the state make available to its residents.
To sign up for West Haven’s alert system, click here.
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Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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