Milford Encouraging Coastal Residents to Evacuate

While Milford continues to recover from the devastation of Sandy, the city is encouraging residents along the coastline to brace for more flooding today as a nor'easter bears down on the area.

In a reverse-911 message sent to residents at noon today, Nov. 7, Mayor Ben Blake encouraged residents in flood-prone areas along the coast to evacuate and move their vehicles to higher ground. Alarms in those neighbors have sounded off to alert residents to the potential danger, Blake said.

The forecast is calling for wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour and, at times, sustained winds of 20-30 miles per hour. Winds of that force were one of the main contributors to massive power outages during Sandy, which hit the East Coast a little more than a week ago. CL&P and UI say they are ready for the nor'easter.

The storm is also expected to drop a few inches of wintry mix—DPW trucks are already out in force throughout the city—and brings with it the potential for flooding.

High tides over the next 24 hours will be at:

• 5:08 p.m. today, Nov. 7
• 5:44 a.m. tomorrow, Nov. 8

The areas most likely to experience flooding are those in the Hurricane 1 flood zone—areas like East Broadway, among others, the mayor said. Unfortunately, he noted, those are the same areas that were hardest hit by Sandy.

"Folks are not catching a break," he said, "Just when we're starting to pick up the pieces from Sandy."

While Blake said the nor'easter is a blip compared to Sandy, the city is not taking any chances. The Emergency Operations Center remains open (it has been since Sandy hit), and the mayor met there this morning with emergency officials.

“It’s not something we’re taking lightly," Blake said. "We're gearing up for it.”