Gov. Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency in Connecticut as Hurricane Irene appears to be heading up the East Coast over the weekend, causing state and local agencies to shut down services.
The emergency declaration gives Malloy the power to order evacuations from threatened areas; modify or suspend any state statute, regulation or requirement; order civil preparedness forces into action; and designate vehicle and person route movements.
Malloy said all 14 Connecticut State Parks will close at sunset on Saturday, and all state park campgrounds with 14,000 campsites will close at noon Saturday. They will remain closed until further notice.
The Metropolitan District will close its recreational facilities on Saturday, including the Lake McDonough Recreation Area in Barkhamstead, the boat launch at Goodwin Dam-West Branch Reservoir in Hartland, and the West Hartford Reservoir.
At Mohegan Sun resort casino in Uncasville, Saturday’s Ladies Night R&B concert was rescheduled to Oct. 6.
Meanwhile, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket also said some of its scheduled events might change because of Irene, and encouraged visitors to check its Web site for updates.
The 11 a.m. forecast on Friday from the National Hurricane Center predicts Irene will make landfall somewhere in North Carolina around 8 a.m. Saturday.
The eye of the storm is predicted to make its way up the East Coast in the following 24 hours, possibly passing over Connecticut sometime Sunday afternoon. Effects of the storm would be felt in advance of the eye passing over Connecticut, and the storm will weaken as it heads north following its initial landfall.
