Norwich Emergency Management Issues Update on Sandy

The City of Norwich Emergency Management office issued a statement through its Facebook page after a meeting late Saturday.

Officials do not anticipate flooding to be a major factor in the immediate region. However, winds, which will be strong out of the east, could cause fallen trees and power outages that could last "days, if not much longer."

Here is the full statement:

We just completed a briefing with the National Weather Service along with a preparedness meeting with City police, fire and codes by Emergency Management Director A. Wesley Jones and Mayor Joseph Maiurano.

The biggest threat for us with be the potential for strong winds. The winds will be from the EAST, which is the opposite of how we normally see our winds. This is a component that increases the potential for trees to fall. We believe widespread trees and wires coming down is a significant possibility for the entire area as we get tropical storm force winds. Winds will increase on Monday during the day and peak during the overnight hours into Tuesday.

Based on the information we have, we don't believe now that flooding will be an issue for our immediate area. None of the models suggest more than 2-3" and a couple give us even less. We will continue to monitor this and because tropical systems can be so unpredictable, there's always the potential this could change. That said, rain will fall heavily at times which will soften up the ground, making it easier for trees to fall.

People should prepare for extended power outages that could last days, if not much longer, depending on how widespread the damage is.