Superstorm Sandy: Emergency Management in high gear - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-
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It's all hands on deck at Vermont Emergency management headquarters in Waterbury.
"We've been prepared for the last couple days, the last few hours the winds have ramped up not as high as we expected but in the next four hours we expect to see the worst of the wind," says Captain Rick Hopkins of the Vermont State Police.
High winds has effected transportation. Burlington Airport cancelled almost all of it's flights both Monday and for Tuesday in bound and outbound. Amtrak has canceled all train service across the Eastern Seaboard including in Vermont.
On the roadways, Interstate 89 and Route 2 in Bolton near exit 10 were closed North and Southbound for less than 40 minutes because of a down GMP power line. Crews worked quickly to get the line off the roadways.
"It was really quick coordination thats what goes on here, GMP and state police across from each other so they can coordinate and get that road back open which was critical there's no other way east south west north of that area," says Captain Hopkins. "Right now power crews have several hundred lines crews in the area, the Agency of Transportation has 500 people assigned to clear debris and state pd has deployed all their folks or put them on standby."
Emergency Management is also being more aggressive when it comes to communicating with the public and local officials about the dangers -- there are also frequent talks with the state's mayors going on. Not to mention cameras along roadways constantly monitoring conditions.
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