Cleanup's Underway but Some Roads Still Closed

The morning after Tropical Storm Irene dropped about 8 inches of rain in Farmington and gusted through with 40 mile per hour winds, things are moving toward normal.

All but 12 percent of the town’s customers have power, CL&P reported Monday morning and crews are out working to fix lines in order of priority.

Those who were evacuated Sunday due to rising water are all able to return home, except residents of Town Farms Road, where water is still high. At one point about 50 people stayed in the town's two shelters.

Nearby, water has flooded the golf course and has covered the road, making Route 4 impassable. It is shut down from Brickyard Road to Garden Street. Farmington Police Lt. William Tyler reported seeing a school of large fish swimming through the area in front of during a tour of affected areas.

In Unionville, the Farmington River, which had washed into the parking lot, poured over outdoor dining area and approached the bottom of the Unionville bridge, had begun to recede by Sunday night. Later, police were able to reopen New Britain Avenue.

Police, along with other town and fire officials, ran rescue efforts from the emergency operation center at the police department Saturday night into Sunday night, working about 24 hours straight.

Farmington Police Lt. Marshall Porter said emergency operations ran smoothly Sunday. No one was hurt in town, though firefighters and police had to remove a party of young men who attempted to go swimming in the Farmington River with an inflatable raft and no lifejackets Sunday afternoon.

“It’s the second-largest storm we’ve had,” said Town Council Chairman Mike Clark, who was cleaning debris from his roof Monday morning. “Overall, I have to give [Town Manager] Kathy Eagen, [Police Chief] Paul Melanson and the fire chiefs a lot of credit. They were tremendously prepared for this. We had a great operations center and the highway department was very responsive.”

In the clean-up phase, Clark said the town is continuing to work with CL&P to get power restored.

“They do prioritize. They’re going to do emergency centers, the police and fire departments first, and then areas with the largest number of customers,” he said. “People should call and make sure they’re on the list.”

was one place where power had not been restored Monday and both Town Hall and Farmington schools are closed. Superintendent Kathleen Greider said officials hope to begin the school year Tuesday, depending on road closures.

"Currently, all school buildings in Farmington have power and school facilities are in good shape to start the school year," she said by email Monday morning. "We are anxious to welcome our students and families back to the 2011-2012 school year."

Police said along with Route 4, Town Farm Road is closed and those roads in the flats, including Meadow Road and Red Oak Hill from New Britain Avenue to Garden Street. Johnson and Hyde are closed; Reservoir Road at number 33; West District Road at number 59 and Morea Road is now limited to one lane.