Naugatuck Blizzard 2013 News Hub

Trash Collection Schedule: 

Naugatuck trash and recycling collection will be pushed-back another day until Wednesday (2/13/2013).  There will be no regular trash and recycling collection on Tuesday (2/12/2013).  The schedule for the rest of the week will be as follows:

• Regular Monday collection will be Wednesday;
• Regular Tuesday collection will be Thursday;
• Regular Wednesday collection will be Friday;
• Regular Thursday collection will be Saturday; and
• Regular Friday collection will be Sunday.

Any changes to the current schedule will be announced if they are made.  Please ensure that all containers are placed curbside by midnight on the day of collection, and do not impede plow and other snow removal vehicles from widening roads.

Update at 3:45 p.m. Monday

Naugatuck officials say they are hoping to have at least one passable lane on every street in Naugatuck by tomorrow, Tuesday, morning.

The town’s Department of Public Works has plows, front-end loaders and backhoes on streets in the borough. They also have town aid from Bethlehem, Ridgefield, Middlebury; those towns have also brought cleanup crews to help Naugatuck.

The borough saw 30 inches of snowfall between Friday and Saturday. Department of Public Works crews have been plowing since, but the overwhelming amount of snow has been difficult for crews to keep up with.

Naugatuck schools were cancelled on Monday. It was unclear as of 3:45 p.m. Monday whether schools would be open on Tuesday, though it is unlikely.

Fire Chief Ken Hanks said emergency medical technicians have been able to get to patient homes, but getting them out of the house has been difficult. In some cases, people have been pulled out in sleds and in one situation, a front-end loader had to pull an ambulance up a hill.

The National Guard crews have been assisting in getting emergency personnel onto streets that have not been plowed.

We will continue to bring you more updates as they become available.

30 Inches!

Naugatuck officially got 30 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. By comparison, Milford got the highest snow total in the tri-state area with 38 inches.

Emergency Notification:

Read the full text of the latest emergency notification here.

Naugatuck Officer Injured:

A Naugatuck police officer was injured in a storm-related accident Friday night.

Several Days of Cleanup Expected

Gov. Dannel Malloy says it's going to be several days before the snow is cleaned up statewide.

Naugatuck Storm Photo Gallery:

Several residents are adding storm-related photos to our Pics and Clips photo and video gallery. Check them out and add your own here. 

CodeRed Friday

Mayor Bob Mezzo put out the following CodeRed emergency notification to residents on Friday. 

Blizzard Charlotte (a/k/a Nemo) has begun to increase in intensity, and conditions are predicted to worsen early this evening and continue through the morning of Feb. 9.  Snow fall up to five inches per hour is possible from 6 p.m. today, Feb. 8, through 6 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 9, creating hazardous conditions and minimal visibility.  Wind gusts up to 40 mph are expected.

Residents should avoid traveling until the storm is over. Gov. Malloy has advised communities to expect a travel ban on all state roads, and local roads should only be used by emergency management personnel.

Residents should shelter in their homes until the storm is over. Due to hazardous conditions, public safety personnel will only be responding to emergency calls during the height of the storm. Any assistance that can be provided to a neighbor in need is greatly appreciated.  Residents with emergency situations should contact 911 for assistance. Emergency Management Officials will consider the need for sheltering facilities in the morning of Feb. 9, after assessing damage. Contingency plans have already been made to do so.

Connecticut Light and Power officials predict moderate power outages statewide, with the possibility of up to 30 percent of customers losing power. Please report outages directly to CL&P at 1-800-286-2000, or electronically at www.cl-p.com. Please be prepared for extended power outages, as emergency calls and road clearance issues will be addressed before restoration efforts begin. This could take days depending on the actual volume of power outages.

Residents must comply with the parking ban that is in effect until further notice. A list of exempted streets is available on the Borough’s website at www.naugatuck-ct.gov.  Any vehicles impeding access of public safety and public works vehicles will be towed.

A state of emergency declaration has been made in Naugatuck effective 8 a.m. this morning, Feb. 8. (The version attached includes my signature. Fire Chief Hanks has attested the original and is in possession of the same).  Gov. Malloy has issued a Declaration of Civil Preparedness Emergency earlier today on Feb. 8. Please respect the magnitude of this blizzard and remain home throughout its duration.  Be safe.

Parking Ban in Effect:

The Naugatuck Police Department is cracking down on people who are not obeying the borough's parking ban on roads. The department has responded to 65 winter parking ban related calls and has issued 42 winter parking ban tickets since 8 a.m. Friday.

"The Naugatuck PD is strictly enforcing the winter parking ban and remind all residents that the parking ban is in effect until 12 hours after the storm has stopped," Lt. Bryan Cammarata said. 

Parking ban information can be found here: http://www.naugatuck-ct.gov/content/117/362/1044/154.aspx

CL&P Update:

As of 9:49 a.m. Saturday, there were 36 Connecticut Light & Power customers in Naugatuck without power. Statewide, there were 38,558 CL&P customers without power.   

Original Article: 

As Naugatuck braces for what could be one of the worst snow storms in recent memory, Naugatuck Patch is there to help bring you the information necessary to keep you and your loved ones safe.

This will serve as the hub of information about the storm - how many inches are out there, where the power is out, what parts of the borough to avoid - throughout the storm. We will update it regularly. And, since this is a community forum, we encourage readers to share with us information in our comments field and photos/videos in our media upload section.

Meanwhile, Naugatuck officials are preparing for the storm:

• Mayor Bob Mezzo tells people to stay safe and to make sure they are prepared for the storm.
• Naugatuck schools are closed today, Friday, in preparation for the storm.
• The National Weather Service says there is no chance we won't see a snow storm on Friday, and that it could be a big one.

As always, stay safe.