Streets Puddle Hours Before Irene's Arrival

Hours before the brunt of Irene's force is expected to reach Windsor, rain associated with the category 1 storm have been falling all afternoon, causing puddles to accumulate and river levels to rise.

While water accumulation is expected in a storm, it is notable because of the large amounts that are expected to fall in the hours to come.

Town Manager Peter Souza said Friday afternoon that urban flooding, rather than flooding from rivers, is the biggest threat to residents.

"Storm drains can't handle that much water," he said.

The Department of Public Works has worked over the past few days to clear both storm drains and catch basins.

Fresh water streams running under streets may also pose a problem, Souza said. It's quite possible small streams may be responsible for street flooding, and eventual closing.

The Windsor Storm Center is set to open Saturday night to assist residents with questions and reports of non-emergency matters.

A decision on whether or not to open the town's shelter, L.P. Wilson Community Center, has yet to be made.

As of Saturday afternoon, the storm has caused several cancellations throughout town, including the Hartford Pops concert at SummerWind Performing Arts Center and classes on Monday at Trinity Christian School.

The decision to postpone opening classes for Windsor Public Schools had not been made as of Friday afternoon.

As of 3:30 p.m. Saturday, there have been no power outages reported in Windsor, according to Connecticut Light & Power. In surrounding towns, only 1 Bloomfield resident has reported an outage.

Statewide, CL&P reports, nearly 3,500 customers have lost power.