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HARTFORD, Conn. In the wake of public outrage over power outages and other problems relating to Hurricane Irene, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy told a task force he appointed to "identify areas that can be improved upon and most importantly make recommendations for future disaster preparedness and response."
Joseph McGee, vice president of the Business Council of Fairfield County in Stamford and a Fairfield resident, co-chairs the eight-member task force, called the State Team Organized for the Review of Management of Irene, or S.T.O.R.M.
The panel held its first meeting in Hartford on Wednesday. Retired Army Maj. Gen. James Skiff is the other co-chair, and former Stamford Fire Chief Robert McGrath is a member of the panel.
"What we are asking for is a broad, objective evaluation reviewing how Irene was handled in the state, both in preparation and recovery," Malloy told the panel. "I want you to take a comprehensive look at state agencies, utility companies, municipalities, non-profits and the private sector, evaluating the response to the storm, how it was handled, and determining what in the future can be improved upon or modified."
Malloy told the panel he didn't want it to duplicate work already undertaken by several legislative committees, but instead to come up with a list of recommendations for future storms.
"To ensure that this review encompasses more than just this most recent storm, I am also asking you to look more broadly at the state's disaster preparedness and response apparatus. We are not looking for a giant volume of information, but a concise statement and your recommendations for the state going forward."
Malloy said he wanted the recommendations submitted to his office by early December.
McGee said the task force will rely on information already compiled by legislative panels, but will also seek new information from experts around the country particularly in Florida, where strong hurricanes are common.
"Irene may have been considered (just) a tropical storm, but it was a powerful one that left more than 1 million people in Connecticut without power, and we need to address what we can do to better prepare for the next time," said McGee. "And we need to know how to prepare and respond to storms that are even worse.
"This is a chance for the governor to take a broader look at how to handle hurricanes, ice storms and any other severe weather-related event," McGee said.
McGee said the panel will await results of studies by local, state and federal agencies on the storm before scheduling more public meetings. The study results are expected by the end of October.
What is your view on how local and state agencies can better prepare for severe storms? Let us know in a comment below.To contact Richard Weizel, email rweizel@mainstreetconnect.us.
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