MILFORD, Conn. — Connecticut shoreline communities are in for wintery weather, minus the snow, on Friday. Heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and coastal flooding are possible.
Water levels could rise up to 2.5 feet higher than normal. Parts of the state may see wind gusts up to 55 mph. With high tide Friday morning, a Coastal Flood Warning is in effect Friday.
"Every day, we’re always preparing. We’re always checking our equipment. When a storm comes up, we do some extra checking, make sure our cold-weather suits are ready to go, our flotation suits, our rope rescue equipment," Captain Martin Halprin with the Milford Fire Department said. "Milford has some inland flooding because of some of the rivers, but typically the heavy flooding is on the coastline."
Officials in New Haven are also gearing up to battle possible flooded streets and downed trees. Rick Fontana, Director of Emergency Operations, said a lot of work goes into the preparations.
"We’ve got vehicles that are stacked up with barricades and over-the-road flooding signs that will go out on Friday," he said. "At high tide, which is 10:30 Friday morning, we anticipate some flooding along the coast."
The two officials emphasize safety for drivers. If streets are flooded, they said to find another route and not to drive through, even if it looks shallow.
With strong wind gusts, Eversource and UI are expecting thousands of potential power outages. Halprin said, if people encounter a down electrical wire, call 9-1-1 and do not approach the wire as it may be live.
He encourages people who live near roads prone to flood to relocate their vehicles to an area that won't be impacted.
"We’re doing everything we can to ensure the safety of people around here and, again, we’re just hoping that people heed our advice," Fontana said. "We’re not going to stop water. Water’s is going to be there."
Fontana expects potentially flooded areas to be near the police department on Union Avenue, under railroad bridges, among others.
Halprin recommends moving Christmas decorations inside, if possible, to prevent them from blowing away during the strong winds.
Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.