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Community News for Lyme and Old Lyme, CT

Be Prepared for Hurricane Henri, Text OLSTORM to 888777 to Get Text Updates from Town of Old Lyme. 

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OLD LYME — Old Lyme Emergency Management is urging residents to be prepared as Tropical Storm Henri works its way up the East coast, and seems likely to become a hurricane over the weekend. Text OLSTORM to 888777 to receive text updates from the Town of Old Lyme. 

David Roberge, Old Lyme’s Emergency Management Director, contacted LymeLine to ask us to remind our readers that every home should have a basic plan that can be used for any emergency.  Lyme and Old Lyme residents should know what potential risks their neighborhood may face, such as the effects of storm or tidal surge, flooding, or roadway closures.

It is recommended that all local residents take three simple preparedness steps now:

  • Get a kit
  • Make a plan
  • Stay informed

In summary, this means residents should carefully monitor the summer’s weather reports, have a personal plan in place in case a storm hits and stay informed of any special information from local and state officials if a storm approaches.

Roberge urges residents to register immediately at OLD LYME ALERTS with your cell phone, work number, or other phone numbers for automated phone messaging during an emergency. You can choose to be notified by e-mail, phone or text message.

Do NOT wait for a power outage: visit www.ct.gov/ctalert and click on the blue Register for Alerts button.

Old Lyme Emergency Management offers the following preparedness tips:

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit

  • One gallon of water per person per day for at least three to five days, for drinking and sanitation
  • At least a three to five day supply of non-perishable food on hand
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Chargers, inverter or solar charger for cell phones and electronic devices
  • A whistle to signal for help
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • A manual can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
  • Local and state road maps to aid in an evacuation

Family Emergency Plan

  • Identify an out-of town contact.  It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members
  • Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.  If you have a cell phone, enter that person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone.  If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know.  Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts
  • Teach family members how to use text messaging.  Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to be connected.

Stay Informed

In addition to using local TV and radio, Old Lyme Emergency Management utilizes the Town of Old Lyme website and social media such as Facebook and Twitter to share important storm related information to its residents.  Old Lyme Emergency Management also stays in close touch with LymeLine.com and we work with them to ensure we always have the latest information and publish all their announcements promptly.

Follow Old Lyme Emergency Management on Facebook and Twitter.

For further preparedness information, contact the Old Lyme Office of Emergency Management at 860-434-1605 extension 231 or visit the additional resources at the attached links.

Weather and storm information:

Emergency planning and homeowner information

The National Hurricane Center has developed the following video guides on hurricane preparedness:

State and Federal Information:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Typos in these links:

    Weather and storm information:

    Old Lyme Weather Forecast
    Old Lyme Radar