Westwood Preparing for Wrath of Hurricane Irene

As Hurricane Irene inches up the East Coast, Westwood officials met Wednesday for what was the first of several briefings to be held this week in order to prepare the town and residents for a potential serious weather threat this weekend.

In the most recent predictions from the National Weather Service, Hurricane Irene is on track to hit Southern New England by Saturday and threaten the Westwood area any time between Saturday night through Monday morning.

"The prediction is that it will hit the southern coast of Rhode Island as a Category 2, but it could be as much as a Category 3," Westwood Town Administrator Mike Jaillet said during the first meeting of the Westwood Emergency Planning Committee on Wednesday. "It will depend and waver on how fast the storm is moving."

Jaillet will be briefing the committee over the next several days as the storm approaches with information he receives from daily calls with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

Residents, Jaillet said, should begin preparing for heavy rains and flooding, especially closer to areas of streams and rivers. While storm surges aren't as much of a threat in Westwood as they are to coastal communities, the area could feel the wrath of extremely dangerous winds and tree damage.

The western portion of Irene's eye could see anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of rain, Jaillet said, with sustained winds of nearly 100 miles an hour and 120 mile-an-hour wind gusts. If Westwood lies on the east-hand side of the storm, the threat will be more wind related, while flooding could be more of an issue if Westwood lies on the west-hand side.

What's more, there could even be a tornado threat near areas outside of the storm's path, Jaillet said.

MEMA has recommended that residents in Massachusetts be prepared to hunker down as early as dusk on Saturday.

"By the end of the day on Sunday, they expect it to be gone," Jaillet said. "Depending on when it arrives."

MEMA has released a list of emergency supplies residents should have on hand for the storm, as well as a disaster supplies brochure.

Business owners in Westwood should also be prepared. For a list of safety preparations, click here.

As far as safety measures, the town is well-prepared. Deputy Fire Chief Mike Reardon said emergency response crews and vehicles will be on hand and ready.

Westwood Health Director Linda Shea and Police Lt. Leo Hoban said the town's two trailers containing medical supplies and other emergency equipment are stocked and ready in the event of a big storm.

The point person for issues during the storm, Jaillet said, will be Westwood Department of Public Works Director Vicki Quiram, as the DPW will respond to most damage-related issues.

"We've got all the chain saws up and running," Quiram said. "We've got our contractors on call. We've got our drainage hot spots clean, and we're pretty much ready to go from that perspective."

Sewer Superintendent Bob Angelo said he's somewhat concerned with the amount of rainfall predicted, but that for the most part drainage systems are in order.

Westwood Board of Selectmen Chair Pat Ahearn, who called into Wednesday's meeting, said his main concern was in regards to heavy winds and trees that may cause damage during the storm.

"The problem we have with winds like this is the 'sail factor,'" he said. "They catch more wind and it tends to break more trees and cause more problems. I think our drainage is very good. I'm more concerned with trees coming down on roads and houses."

Power outages could also be an issue, but NSTAR crews are prepared to respond if needed, Quiram said.

The notion of using the emergency shelter at is an option, Jaillet said, but whether that will be needed won't be discussed until MEMA has given a clearer picture on where the storm will hit the hardest.

Ken Aries, Westwood Public Schools Director of Operations, said the high school would be ready to open as a shelter if needed.

Officials may also open a temporary shelter at the Westwood Senior Center, where people could spend a short period of time if need be.

Preparing for a hurricane is nothing new in Westwood. The town went through similar preparations last summer to get ready for the threat of , whose wrath never reached Westwood borders.

With Irene, however, most predictions so far have the storm heading directly for New England.

"There's more of a high probability that more portions of Massachusetts will be impacted by this storm," Jaillet said. "The latest track of the storm shows that it's strengthening and it's moving just east of Cape Hatteras, and it's going to continue to cross over into Rhode Island and into Eastern Massachusetts. The eye could be as far west as the western portion of New York State and as far east as Nantucket Island."

Residents should also revert to the following resources for emergency information:

• To contact the Westwood Fire Department for non-emergency situations, call 781-326-3885. 
• To contact Westwood Police for non-emergency situations, call (781) 320-1000.
• For all emergencies, call 911. 

Westwood Patch will provide updated information on the storm and how to prepare as it becomes available.