The state of Vermont is deploying hundreds of workers to help residents cope with the impact of high winds from Hurricane Sandy on local communities.
Officials expect winds to begin increasing in velocity this afternoon at about 2 p.m. Between 6 and 8 p.m. levels will begin to hit peaks of 60 to 80 miles per hour on the spine of the Green Mountains, especially in the Rutland area and parts of the Northeast Kingdom. Mount Mansfield could see gusts of up to 100 miles per hour. Other areas of the state will see gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour.
The biggest danger is downed trees and power lines.
In April 2007, the Rutland area lost 1,000 trees as a result of high winds coming off the Greens for a three to four hour period.
This time, the winds could last as long as 14 hours with peak gusts for six to eight hours in the worst affected areas, according to meteorologists.
Flooding could occur in prone areas in Southern Vermont, officials say.
Keith Flynn, the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, urged Vermonters to use appropriate precautions and be mindful of their surroundings.
“We do expect this to be more of a wind event than a flooding event,” Flynn said. “We want to make sure people do understand this is going to get some rain it’s not going to be the kind of rain we saw with Irene.”
Vermont Emergency Managemant officials are working with mayors and legislators in areas that could be worst hit by the storm.
Swift boat rescue teams are positioned in Manchester and Hartford.
All Vermont State Police troopers — about 315 — will be on alert or on duty as of 5 p.m. Agency of Transportation crews will be on the ground as well, with as many as 500 workers ready to help clear roads.
The state has standby shelters in the following locations: Brattleboro Union High School in Brattleboro, Project Independence in Bennington, Hartford High School in Hartford, St. Albans Town auditorium in St. Albans, Barre Auditorium in Barre and Rutland High School and the Leahy Center in Rutland.
The following are numbers should be used by the public in the specific circumstances outlined.
In case of an emergency: 911
If there is damage to your home, if you see road damage, or if you need any resources: contact your town.
For shelter information, evacuation information, and other disaster resources: 2-1-1
Road Closures: 5-1-1 or www.511vt.com
If you see a downed power line: contact your local utility
VEM Web Site: http://vem.vermont.gov
For more preparedness tips visit: http://vem.vermont.gov/preparedness.
For road closures call 511 or visit: www.511vt.com.
Weather Forecast: www.weather.gov/btv or http://www.erh.noaa.gov/aly/
Vermont Emergency Management on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vermontemergencymanagement
Media inquiries can be directed to Vermont Emergency Management Public Information Officer Mark Bosma at 802-241-5238 or 800-347-0488.
