[UPDATED] Westwood Storm Center: Updates, Safety Tips and Resources for Hurricane Irene

Sunday, 4:45 p.m. - As Hurricane Irene's strong winds began to dissipate Sunday afternoon, the need for opening Westwood's emergency shelter diminished, according to Westwood Town Administrator Mike Jaillet.

"There doesn't seem to be a need, so we're not inclined to do that," he said. "We've only got one call about the shelter early on in the storm. And given the time of year, there are a lot of power outages, but there doesn't seem to be any reports of houses having been hit where you couldn't stay in. My sense is that people would ride out a power outage."

While there certainly was a fair amount of damage in Westwood, from fallen trees at residents homes to downed wires,

"I would say that it's about what we thought," Jaillet said. "Things seems to be winding down. The DPW has dealt with most if not all the streets that can be opened that don't involve trees."

A number of roads were closed Sunday due to downed wires caused by fallen trees and tree limbs, from Summer Street to Oak Street to Thatcher Street. Many fallen trees were tended to, but crews were awaiting NSTAR assistance for any issues with downed wires.

"The plan is whatever we don't get done tonight, we'll be bringing back crews in the morning so we can open up those streets," Jaillet said. "And the goal would be to have all the streets open by the time traffic starts (Monday)."

Meanwhile, Westwood Department of Public Works Director Vicki Quiram, who was driving around Westwood assessing initial damages late Sunday afternoon, said the

"There's a lot of cleanup to do," she said. "But thank goodness nothing severe. There were no huge horrible catastrophes or anything. And we've been able to handle it."

While falling trees certainly caused a few headaches to home owners, the DPW received few reports of flooding, save some localized street flooding during high-intensity rainfall, Quiram said.

Sunday, 12:15 p.m. - It's been a busy morning in Westwood, where Department of Public Works and Public Safety officials have been hard at work responding to a variety of downed trees and power outages.

"Things got busy during the cell recently," said Westwood Town Manager Mike Jaillet. "There were a lot of calls coming in. We have power outages in various locations throughout town. We do know that one tree has hit a house, that there are several other roads that have been closed. We're sitting down here working through the issues we need to be knowledgeable of."

As of noontime, Jaillet said there was not enough demand in town to open the emergency shelter at the high school, but that could change depending on wind-related issues over the next several hours.

Meanwhile, residents are advised to remain off the roads even if the rain begins to dissipate, as the wind gusts are to be the worst over the next four to six hours.

"This is absolutely not a time (to be driving)," Jaillet said. "The fact that it is not raining is not an indication that it might be safe to go on the roads. It's not about the rain, it's about the wind."

A Greenhill Road resident reported to Westwood Patch that a large tree had fallen in her back yard, though did not cause any property damage.

Meanwhile, another resident sent in that crashed through their porch around 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

On Facebook, April Kutz Allegrezza said power had gone out on Birchtree Road, and Linda Milano said a 50-foot tree had fallen down in her yard, though not caushing any property or wire damage.

Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday, but it was not enough to stop the calls to Westwood officials.

Westwood Department of Public Works Director Vicki Quiram said Sunday morning that most of the calls were related to isolated downed tree limbs and power outages.

"We've got a few streets we're blocking off right now," said Quiram.

Those streets were Thatcher, Woodridge Road and Sumac Drive, all of which had reported wires down. A downed tree was also reported on Clapboardtree Street, and some street flooding was reported on Edgewood, Quiram said.

Westwood DPW and NSTAR crews were responding to all areas to address.

Sunday, 5:30 a.m. - While the strength of began to wither as she approached Massachusetts on Saturday, Westwood officials were not about to let their guard down in terms of storm preparations.

"We're now working with a tropical storm," Town Administrator Mike Jaillet told Westwood Patch Saturday afternoon. "That's what's predicted for our area, not hurricane winds."

What was earlier predicted as sustained winds of 80 to 90 miles per hour, Irene is now expected to bring sustained winds of closer to 50 to 70 m.p.h., with potential gusts of a little more than 70 m.p.h., Jaillet said.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect from the National Weather Service on Saturday, warning of strong winds and heavy rainfall.

The worst of the storm is expected to hit the Westwood area during a six-hour period beginning around 9 or 10 a.m., and last through the early evening. During that time, residents are advised to remain in their homes and off the roads to avoid potential threat of falling tree limbs or branches.

"People should absolutely not be traveling on the road ways, especially from the beginning of the heavy winds through the end," Jaillet said. "During that period of time, people should stay put in their houses and not leave."

Emergency Contact Information

If, during the storm, residents lose power and want to keep updated with news and information, updates on Westwood Patch can be found through the .

Below is a list of contacts and information to keep handy for preparing for the storm (information can also be obtained from the Town of Westwood website):

• Any and all power outages should be reported to NSTAR at 1-800-592-2000.
• For non-emergency police-related issues, as well as information on the town's emergency shelter, please call 781-320-1000.
• For non-emergency fire-related issues, please call 781-326-3885.
• Emergencies should be reported by calling 9-1-1.

Safety Tips and Preparations

Westwood residnets should take into consideration a variety of safety tips and procedures provided by such organizations as the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), which has offered a list of supplies residents should keep on hand during the hurricane.

Below is a list of tips for residents who are caring for pets during Hurricane Irene (Courtesy, Mass.gov):

• Prepare an emergency kit for your pets. They should include collars and leashes, a three to five day supply of food and water, a manual can opener, bowls, litter boxes, photographs (you with your pet), and a week’s supply of medications that your pet may be taking, including instructions (in case you and your pet are separated). 
• Have copies of your pets’ vaccinations, medical records and prescriptions in a clean plastic bag or waterproof container.
• Make sure your pets wear collars with current license and rabies tags, and identification tags that include information on where you will be staying during the emergency. 
• Use a pet carrier for each of your pets to make transportation easier. 
• Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. During warm weather, carry a plant mister to spray the birds' feathers periodically. Do not put water inside the carrier during transport.
• Provide a few slices of fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content. 
• Have a photograph for identification and leg bands. 
• If the carrier does not have a perch, line it with paper towels and change them frequently. Try to keep the carrier in a quiet area. Do not let the birds out of the cage or carrier.

AT&T, which has an office located on Providence Highway/Rte. 1 in Westwood, has issued a number of tips for residents in protecting their cell phone service.

• Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times.
• Keep your phones dry.
• Have a family communication plan in place.
• Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone.
• Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation.
• Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device.
• Camera phones provide assistance.
• Take advantage of location-based mapping technology.

Update From Town Officials

Fewer power outages are anticipated with the weakening of the storm, Jaillet said Saturday, though they are expected. Residents who lose power should contact NSTAR directly, and not Westwood Police or Fire Departments.

NSTAR crews will be on standby during the storm to respond to necessary incidents, such as downed wires or emergencies. Some of those crews, Jaillet said, will be deployed from NSTAR's Westwood facility.

Officials are still considering the option of opening the town's emergency shelter if necessary. Moreover, the town may not open up its Emergency Operations Center at the Westwood Police Department as originally intended, though officials may still do so to work through the storm as a training exercise, Jaillet said, as Westwood has never needed to open the center before.

Regardless, crews will be working throughout the day and night Sunday to ensure roads are safe by Monday morning.

"Our efforts will be to have the streets open and passable for the next day's commute," Jaillet said. "That's the objective. Depending on the damage, we may have to work overnight."

Westwood Patch will provide storm information throughout the weekend as it becomes available. Updated information can also be seen on .