Dedham Emergency Officials Brace for Hurricane

Dedham emergency officials met for nearly an hour Friday morning at to discuss plans for the forecasted hurricane set to hit the Dedham area and Massachusetts on Sunday.

"I hope it tracks further inland, but we have to prepare for a pretty significant event," said Town Administrator William Keegan.

Sitting on the eastern side of a hurricane system means getting the brunt of the wind, rather than rain. While that might mean fewer flooding concerns, extremely strong winds could cause tornadoes in isolated places, Keegan said.

"We have seen what a tornado can do [in western Massachusetts] and that concerns me," he told his emergency management team.

All Hands
Many town departments will be in all-hands-on-deck mode. Fire Chief William Cullinane said he will be at full staff, and Dedham Police Chief Michael d'Entremont will bring on more personnel as well. The dispatch center will have extra help as well to handle emergency calls.

Town officials stressed that residents use the 911 emergency line appropriately. Residents may call the non-emergency dispatch line at 781-751-9300 for calls related to insurance, downed trees or wires. Residents should call NStar's consumer line (1-800-592-2000) to report power outages.

Town officials are planning to open a town emergency operations center at Town Hall this weekend, and said they will make formal plans Saturday, once forecasters have a better grasp on the track of Hurricane Irene.

The Department of Health is working with the school district to prepare as a possible temporary overnight shelter, should the storm cause significant damage. Keegan didn't set hours for the shelter, but will based on the severity of Sunday's storm.

"We should plan getting some [food] provisions over there," Keegan said. Cots and blankets will be placed in the school beforehand.

Council on Aging Director Laura Leventhal compiled a list of seniors deemed "frail" and would require phone calls during the storm in order to check on their safety. Fire officials said they would visit any frail senior that didn't respond to a phone call.

Emergency officials said after the meeting that they hoped they were being overprepared in dealing with the storm, and said the team would be in constant contact during the weekend.

at Legacy Place will be open throughout Sunday, even if they lose power, Whole Foods marketing director Lauren Klatsky said Friday. The food store has fuel cells in the back of the store, which produces power at all times. The fuel cell would still be able to operate even without power, she said.

Irene's Timing
Hurricane Irene is tracking up the East Coast Friday, with rain beginning Saturday morning. The brunt of the rainfall will occur early Sunday morning and into Sunday afternoon, with forecasters calling for 3 to 5 inches of rain throughout the storm and for tropical storm-force winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Dedham officials were less worried about flooding, except in spots on Doggett Circle and along the Charles River. Department of Public Works Director Joe Flanagan said the Charles River is low, and could handle 3 to 5 inches of rain, without spilling over.

Keegan said: "Fortunately for Dedham, we are not in a situation where we have a major flooding situation, for the most part [...] We could have a significant amount of rain, which could soften the ground."

Softer ground would make trees more susceptible to falling over.

"We have to be prepared for the worst-case scenerio," Cullinane said.

Dedham Patch will provide storm information throughout the weekend as it becomes available.