A Federal Emergency Management Agency team is expected to arrive at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee on Saturday in preparation for the storm.
SPRINGFIELD — As Hurricane Sandy continues charging up the East Coast, state and local agencies and individual property owners are taking steps to prepare for the worst that the supposed super storm can dish out when it enters New England sometime Sunday evening.
Sandy, as of 8 p.m., was approximately 74 miles north of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and 400 miles south-southwest of Charleston, S.C. It is heading north at about 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
It was producing maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, which according to the hurricane center is a decrease for earlier in the day. It remains a category one hurricane. On Thursday, it was a Category 2 hurricane with winds of up to 115 mph.
As it leaves the Bahamas, the death toll from the storm so far is 40 people, according to the Associated Press.
The storm’s general northward direction is expected to continue for the remainder of Friday night. Sometime Saturday it is expected to turn north-northeast and pick up forward speed on Saturday. By Sunday it is expected to be heading northeast. The hurricane center is projecting it will show no significant change in strength over the next few days.
CBS3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli said a warm front will push through the area in advance of the storm. Saturday’s temperatures should be close to 70 degrees.
“Enjoy the weather through Saturday as it goes down hill after that,” he said.
“We continue to monitor what is now Hurricane Sandy, which some computer models have tracking close to the outer banks of North Carolina and impacting New England late Sunday night through Tuesday,” he said.
“At this time it appears it will impact us here in Western Mass. with 3 to 6 inches of rain and enough wind to perhaps bring some scattered powers outages. The coast will have a much greater impact with wave action and tropical storm force winds. We'll be tracking it through the weekend.”
Up and down the East Coast, states are mobilizing emergency resources in preparation for the storm, which because of its proximity to Halloween has led some to calling it “Frankenstorm."
A Federal Emergency Management Agency team is expected to arrive at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee on Saturday in preparation for the storm.
From Sunday through Monday, 77 tractor-trailers will arrive at the base loaded with meals, cots, bottled water, generators, tarps and other emergency supplies.
Westover is a Federal Emergency Management Agency Incident Support Base. An emergency plan has been in place for eight years, and this will be the third time the base is being used as a staging point for FEMA Region I, which encompasses all of New England, said Bob Perreault, Chief of Emergency Management for the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover.
Westover was chosen as the staging site because of its size, location, and support network. "This event is unique because of the number of trailers and the FEMA presence, but this is also another facet of what we do best: stage and move massive amounts of cargo anywhere in the world," said Lt. Col. James Bishop, chief of Public Affairs at Westover.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick outlined preparations the state is taking in anticipation of the storm arriving as early as Sunday night.
In a press conference in Boston, Patrick said “We’re watching very carefully and we’re doing our role to ask lots of questions.”
According to the State House News Service, Patrick said forecasters are currently predicting the hurricane will hit somewhere near Delaware and New Jersey. Due to its size, high winds and heavy rain and surf are forecast for states from the mid-Atlantic up through New England.
“There are so-called astronomical high tides because of the full moon, so tides are going to be high anyway. The seas are expected to be 30 and 35 feet – I mean above normal – before the waves, so that’s a pretty serious condition,” Patrick said. He said 4- to 6-foot storm surges, 6 to 10 inches of rain and “damaging winds” are expected.
Boat owners are advised to take them out of the water, and homeowners with lawn furniture are advised to pack it away.
Patrick said the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is monitoring the storm, coordinating with local public safety officials. The Department of Public Utilities has been in frequent communication with the utility companies, and Patrick reported that each utility company has submitted an emergency response plan.
“We have been in close contact with the National Weather Service, and are coordinating with MEMA, all of our state agencies and the utility companies to make sure we are ready for Hurricane Sandy’s potential impact here in the commonwealth,” Patrick said.
With the potential for widespread power outages, much of the focus of the state's preparations remained on power companies that were harshly criticized for their response to two major storms last year that, in both cases, left some customers without electricity for a week.
"It's the weather. It's mother nature. It's not entirely predictable," Patrick said. "But the things that we observed from the last two storms should be lessons we are planning
against."
Utilities face the threat of stiff fines if their response falls short of expectations, officials
said.
Attorney General Martha Coakley has recommended a combined $30 million in fines against National Grid, NStar and Western Massachusetts Electric Co. for problems after Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 and a surprise snowstorm last October. The Department of Public Utilities is expected to rule on those penalties next month.
Richard Sullivan, the state's Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary, said utilities will be under strict scrutiny this time around. He said each has filed emergency plans with the state and are contracting with crews as far away as Washington state to deal with expected outages.
"It would appear that the number of crews they have put on call is sufficient, but we are measuring this response in terms of the results on the ground and not necessarily the numbers," he said.
To improve communications with cities and towns, utilities have assigned a liaison to each community for the duration of the storm and restoration efforts, Sullivan said.
State officials urged utilities to synchronize the activities of crews assigned to repair lines with those assigned to clear trees felled by high winds, citing that as a major obstacle after last year's storms.
"Though there were a lot of crews, the tree crews and the line crews were not necessarily well coordinated. A line crew would go someplace where the power was down, but because there wasn't someone there to remove the tree that had caused the power line to come down, they couldn't deal with it," said Patrick.
Patrick urged residents to take precautions in advance of the storm, including making sure their homes are equipped with working flashlights, food and water, extra medications and pet supplies.
At the University of Massachusetts, officials are preparing for heavy rain, wind and possible power outages, said Thomas O’Regan, emergency preparedness and business continuity planning manager with Environmental Health & Safety.
UMass is taking steps to secure buildings, stockpile supplies of food and water, and ready its emergency communications systems. Updates were sent to all students Friday afternoon to make them aware of the approaching storm and to advise them to make appropriate preparations.
All employees and students are urged to monitor the weather situation as it develops over the weekend. Currently, all classes are meeting as scheduled and the campus will operate as usual.
The university will provide updates on the status of the campus through social media and web-based and other electronic communications. Staff and faculty may also check the campus’ status by calling the Emergency Closing Line at (413)545-3630.
“As last year’s Halloween snowstorm demonstrated, prior planning and preparation can help all of us cope with a severe weather emergency,” said O’Regan. “Community members are advised to use good judgment when travelling and avoid dangerous situations. We are working to protect your safety, but we also need your cooperation as conditions evolve.”
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno urged residents to pay attention to the weather reports in the local media and to be as prepared as they can.
"There is the potential for rain and wind which could cause power outages should the storm move in our direction early next week. As we have shown before with weather disaster situations, if needed, city departments working with all emergency partners will respond in an efficient, effective and compassionate manner," he said.
He urged people to take some steps in advance, including:
• cleaning out storm drain covers and catch basins in the street in front of your home to prevent flooding;
• filling up the gas tank in your automobile in the event of power outages that may prevent gas pumps from working;
• keeping cell phones and other mobile devices fully charged and have a car charger for these devices;
• and keep non-perishable food items on hand.
City Emergency Response Officials urge residents to view the city’s website for a list of precautionary measures residents can take so that they are always prepared for any type of natural disaster. Residents can also view the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website at www.ready.gov for preparedness information.
In Northampton, Mayor David J. Narkewicz is setting up the city’s Emergency Operations Center in anticipation of the storm. The mayor and other city officials participated in a conference call Friday with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to plan for Hurricane Sandy.
Greenfield Deputy Fire Chief Robert Strahan said his community has been checking emergency generators, moving equipment to higher ground and looking at emergency staffing as the storm approaches.
In Holyoke, the emergency shelter for residents will be the War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.
Mayor Alex B. Morse held a conference call with department heads at noon Friday. Public safety officials will run the city's response from the emergency operations center at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St, he said.
"We'll be tracking the storm all weekend," Morse said.
Holyoke Gas and Electric Department officials will be watching water levels in the Connecticut River and the three canals in the city that power the hydroelectric dam. If the water gets too high, tailgates will be closed at certain generating facilities along the canals to prevent river flow from backing into the facilities, Manager James M. Lavelle said.
All of the department's 140 full-timers are on stand-by and additional lineworkers and tree crews will be in Holyoke by Monday if necessary. At least 17 linemen will be ready to fix downed power lines, he said, up from the 10 normally on duty.
"Everyone will be ready and willing to do whatever it takes under the circumstance," Lavelle said.
Since the Oct. 29, 2011 storm, the department removed trees, branches and other vegetation in areas considered to be possible problems in terms of interfering with power lines, he said.
"We doubled the amount of tree-trimming work over this past year, and we plan to do the same over the next year," Lavelle said.
Holyoke Conservation Director Andrew Smith advised homeowners to secure lawn furniture, trash receptacles and yard clippings, as well as gas cans or fuel oil containers,to keep them from blocking stormwater catch basins.
Also, since waterways are critical for capturing and directing stormwater, it is imperative residents not deposit yard waste in a stream or wetland, he said.
The city runs a yard waste collection facility off Berkshire Street, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. week days, he said.
The American Red Cross is also urging people to be ready.
Dawn Leaks, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, Pioneer Valley, said people should restock emergency preparedness kits, and update family disaster plans.
She encouraged people with smart phones to download the Red Cross’ Hurricane App to have real-time weather information and recommendations on what to do before, during and after the storm.
“We want everyone to be to be ready for the possible effects of a hurricane,” she said.
“The American Red Cross has resources to help people plan for emergencies and prepare their households and workplaces.”