Major Branford Electric Substation Faces Serious Flooding

As Hurricane Sandy’s wind picked up, and power outages and flooding began, CL&P officials turned their attention to Branford’s major electric substation, one built in and for another era. It is located adjacent to the Branford River on two sides; officials are worried the river will be subject to serious flooding.  (See map.)

Across Branford, residents in Pine Orchard and the Queach area lost power this afternoon, leaving nearly 1,000 people without electricity.  After the hide tide arrived at about 11:30 this morning, floods rolled across major roads, leaving many residents stranded in their homes. 

Among the day’s developments:

• The Hospice care facility, located on the Sound, was evacuated of patients, who were transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital’s St. Raphael’s facility. The town’s fire crew, ambulances and other volunteers assisted them. The facility had made prior arrangements. During Irene they faced serious problems. 

• Winds moved in various directions during the day. Their shifts tonight are expected to plunge the town into darkness. ​“By tonight, we will be in the dark,” First Selectman Anthony ​“Unk” DaRos said. 

• Residents found themselves stranded in their homes in certain areas because after the early high tide their access roads were flooded, from Short Beach to Pine Orchard to Stony Creek. 

• n a declared emergency, all town officials were at work Monday. Some, like those in public works and at the fire department, will be working through the night. Police are working double shifts.  The town’s libraries and schools were closed. 

Substation Concerns

The substation is adjacent to the Branford River on two sides and is open on all four sides. It services Branford and sections of Guilford and CL& P officials are concerned that given the unpredictable nature of the Hurricane, it might get flooded.

Another station, also prone to flooding, is the one located on Meadow Street.  However, the East Main Street substation (#272 in the screenshot of the Branford GIS map at top) has grown substantially over the years and appears to serve most of Branford.

Bill Quinlan, vice-president of Emergency Preparedness at CL&P, said pumps are in place and auxiliary generators will be used, but he still voiced concern in part because the substation is located in a 100-year flood plain on East Main Street.

First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos said he thought the substation, which serves 11,300 of the town’s 16,300 CL& P customers, was built in the 1920s or earlier.  The substation services homes, businesses and the traffic signals from one end of town to another.  It was most recently in the news last year when a circuit breaker tripped under wet conditions.

At this juncture “it is impractical to put up walls around it,” even temporary walls, because “we can’t get in,” Quinlan said at a press conference in Hartford.

He said he was particularly concerned because the flood heights being predicted “are unprecedented. We have never seen flood heights at the level they are forecasting,” he said. And without saying it, it was clear his concern was the Branford River in relation to the sub-station.

While efforts are underway to protect a similar substation in Stamford by building concrete berms on two sides, there are no plans to do that in Branford, he said, because of geographical issues.  The problem in this hurricane is that the storm surge will act as a backwash to the town’s rivers, exacerbating flooding conditions. Put simply, it will change the direction in which they flow.

However, CL& P is looking into placing a portable generator at the East Main St. substation if it needs to.

DaRos told the Eagle that CL&P officials are most concerned about tonight’s high tide—shortly before midnight—and how the electric substation tolerates that. “Most of the equipment at that site is in the air,” DaRos said. “And they have put in dikes,” primarily earth and rock and sandbags to try to prevent flooding. 

DaRos also said CL&P has contingency plans in motion in the event the sub-station fails. “If there is damage to their controls, they will have to shut it down to protect their equipment. They may be able to bring power from Guilford, which is part of the operation,” he said.

Communication with the town over the substation and other issues is vastly different now than when it was during storm Irene, DaRos said in an interview.

“This time they reached out to the town. They have kept us up-to-date and informed. I told them I don’t plan on good news. But if you have bad news, tell me. Then I can make plans. This time they have been good at it. It is much different.”

Today’s Snapshot

Schools were canceled for Monday and Tuesday. By mid-day schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez announced that schools will be closed on Wednesday as well.  Mary T. Murphy Elementary School took in stranded residents with pets. About 15 residents arrived last night. They were short on cots but that problem is being remedied, DaRos said. There were another 20 residents at Branford High School. “The churches are cooking for them,” DaRos said.

A number of residents living on the shoreline told the Eagle that while they stayed in their homes last night they would be leaving them by mid-day today. The shelters are expected to become more crowded tonight. Some residents who live on the shoreline said they will be staying with friends and relatives nearby. They said they want to be close enough to their imperiled homes to be able to quickly help once they can. 

Heavy flooding arrived even though Hurricane Sandy had not fully arrived in force at today’s morning high tide. The full impact of the hurricane won’t be felt until midnight tonight, when the day’s second high tide occurs. The first high tide arrived at about 11:30 a.m. and flooded Clark Avenue in Short Beach.

“It’s up to my mailbox,” said one resident whose house, while set back, faces the beach.

Most of those whose homes face the beach were planning to leave by midday. 

Nearby Beckett Street, where Irene’s floods overtook the street and the homes along the beach, the road was again hit hard by early morning Monday, even before high tide arrived.

Remembering some of Irene’s problems, DaRos reminded residents not to talk to crews trying to fix lines. “If you talk to them, they can’t fix the lines”

He also asked residents not to park in travel lanes when they leave their vehicles to inspect the scene after the hurricane. “We had a real problems with Irene. People left their autos and we ask them not to so that emergency crews can get through.”

As for trees falling on wires, DaRos said CL&P must cut the power to nearby residences when that happens. “Don’t expect a truck to help out until the wind dies down,” he said.

He urged patience. “This is a 36- hour storm and they can’t operate in over 40 miles per hour winds in a bucket truck.”

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