About 70 Residents Taking Shelter At Stonington High School

There are about 70 people taking shelter from Hurricane Sandy at the Stonington High School Emergency Shelter.

A mandatory evacuation for low-lying areas in Mystic, Stonington and Pawcatuck went into effect Sunday afternoon. Members of the Red Cross and Stonington Human Services are staffing the shelter.

“Shelter now at 70 residents at the High School,” First Selectman Ed Haberek posted to his Facebook page at about 2 p.m. Monday, he added that everyone was fed and safe.

Pets in cages are allowed in the shelter.

Slightly more than 70 people were at the shelter during Tropical Storm Irene.

As of about 3 p.m, about 3,000 Stonington CL&P customers were without power. That number jumped from this morning’s 930 and unfortunately may continue to do so as winds pick up. In Groton about 3,000 were without power as of 3 p.m., as well. Power outages were reported in lower Pawcatuck including on Lee, Rivercrest, and Cowell near Renee and Greenhaven, in Mystic on Library Street, on Flanders Road in Mystic and in the Fort Hill area of Groton. There are reports of live wires down on North Water Street.

More than 60,000 customers are without power throughout the state.

According to and Mary Hall and River Roads in Pawcatuck are flooded.

The Connecticut state Emergency Operations Center said this afternoon that Hurricane Sandy had picked up speed and is now expected to make landfall between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. tonight.

Town and state officials are encouraging people to stay inside.

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