New Canaan Emergency Officials — and Residents — Prepare for Irene

New Canaan’s Emergency Operations Center is busy, if not officially in operation, with police and fire officials meeting with town leaders to create plans for expected arrival this weekend.

“We are on monitoring status,” Police Commissioner and Deputy Director of Emergency Operations Jim Cole told Patch. “We don’t expect we’ll be fully up and running until we get wind and rain, probably tomorrow.”

Director of Emergency Operations, Mike Handler, said he would have more information for media later Friday afternoon.

Selectman Rob Mallozzi said he is comfortable with the plans that have been made, and now all that’s left is to wait and see what Irene has in store for New Canaan.

“Our emergency professionals have done a very good job laying the groundwork, but now we’re waiting to see the curve balls that will come our way,” he said. “We are anticipating a long term duration event.”

Cole and Sgt. Carol Ogrinc, Information Officer for the , will blog on Patch throughout the weekend and as needed after the storm passes.

In the meantime, Cole said they are advising residents to "shelter at home" and to make sure they have enough food and water and prescription medicines to last for four or five days.

At , Manager Alex Stewart began to notice an increase in business on Wednesday afternoon.

“I don’t know whether people are coming back to town after summer, or if it’s the hurricane or both,” he said.  But he did notice people were buying water, batteries and canned goods.

Leah Kittredge was one of those customers stocking up on water and non-perishables Thursday afternoon.

“We went through Gloria when I was little and we lost power for a week,” she told Patch. “With two kids it’s better safe than sorry. “

Stewart said the store would cut back on its weekend order of perishable foods and would not be making as many prepared foods this weekend. He said the store will operate with a “skeletal staff” on Sunday.

Andy Eckman, a sales associate at hardly had time to answer questions from Patch.

“We’re completely swamped,” he said. “People are buying flashlights, batteries, lamp oil, duct tape. All the basic supplies.”

He had one bit of advice for residents preparing for the storm. He said homeowners who want to tape their windows should be using masking tape. The duct tape, he said, won’t come off the glass.

Mallozzi, who is driving home after dropping off his son at college, said he stopped on the Massachusetts-Vermont border to pick up some supplies of his own.

“I’m embarrassed to say I’ve just stopped to get a few things,” he told Patch. “There are no D batteries, there is no anything. There’s nothing left on the shelves here. We’re two hours north of Connecticut and there’s nothing.”

updates as they become available.