© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

S.T.O.R.M. Irene Panel

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Chion/do%20110913%20Storm%20panel.mp3

Governor Malloy has appointed a panel to review how the state, municipalities and utilities responded to Tropical Storm Irene.  The group will also take a broader look at Connecticut’s disaster preparedness.

Members of the S.T.O.R.M. Irene Panel include leaders from the military, disaster relief, non-profit agencies and municipal governments.  They’ll examine response to the storm - what worked and what didn’t.

Hamden mayor Scott Jackson.  "It turned not into a wind event or a rain event specifically in a lot of parts of the state, but actually a power event.   We were on the ground working with the utilities, and what we learned was that the process, though it may have been effective in getting folks re-powered, it wasn’t efficient."

Hamden is geographically a sizeable town – half urban and half suburban/ rural.  Hundreds of trees were lost in the storm and 61,000 people, about 40% of the town lost power.   Mayor Jackson says preparing for emergencies means understanding Connecticut’s changing demographics. "We have a lot of people aging at home now.  So we got a lot of calls, a lot of e-mails, a lot of faxes.  Well I’m not calling about myself, but my neighbor is 92 years old and he needs to have his power back on."

Jackson expects the panel to issue recommendations and work with utilities to improve response in the future.  

Meanwhile, Governor Malloy has announced that two FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers will open in East Haven and Guilford, bringing the state’s total to nine.  

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here and Now; and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.