Gov. Malloy Appoints Panel To Examine Response To Irene
HARTFORD, CT (WCBS 880/AP) - Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy has appointed eight members to a panel that will review how the state, municipalities and the utilities responded to Hurricane Irene, which hit the state as a tropical storm Aug. 28.
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Malloy's office announced the appointments Tuesday. They include members from the fields of disaster relief, the military, municipal government, non-profits and unions.
The panel, known as S.T.O.R.M Irene, will also look at the state's preparedness. Malloy says he wants an "honest assessment'' of what was done right, what could have been done better and what needs to be done next time.
Panel co-chair Joe McGee says there will be no finger pointing, but he notes the loss of power was high and had the storm been more intense, infrastructure, such as sewage treatment plants on the water, could have been at serious risk.
"If this storm had been 10 MPH stronger wind gusts, if the water surge had been another foot, what would be the impact on sewage treatment facilities?" he said to WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.
McGee is also concerned about how the state handles services to people who are on public assistance or have health issues.
"There are some issues about, about how we serve that population," he said.
The panel will, of course, also examine the issue of power outages.
The panel's report is expected in December.
State lawmakers are also expected to announce dates for a legislative hearing about response to the storm.
Meanwhile, two additional FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers will open Thursday in East Haven and Guilford, for a total of 11.
How do you feel about Connecticut's response to Irene? Sound off below!
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