[Update, 2:52 p.m.] Avon First Day of School Moved to Wednesday

Update, 2:53 p.m.

Avon public school officials announced Monday that the first day of school has been moved from Tuesday to Wednesday in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.

"With the exception of Avon Middle School experiencing water infiltration in its lower level and being without power for a period of time on Sunday and early Monday morning, our schools were spared any major issues," Avon Superintendent of Schools Gary Mala wrote in a letter to parents and staff. "We are continuing to address the water cleanup at the middle school which we are confident will be remedied in time for the opening day of the 2011-2012 school year."

Mala wrote that district officials decided to postpone the first day of school after consulting with local emergency management emergency management and reviewing transportation contractor DATTCO's report from its safety officers regarding the "areas in our community that have been adversely impacted by power outages, downed power lines and tree damage which will inhibit the safe travel of buses and cars." 

"As was the case in preparation for the onset of the hurricane, the district has been and will continue to be proactive in ensuring a safe, smooth start for all students and staff," Mala wrote in the letter to the community.

He plans on sending further information out tomorrow to parents about how the postponed first day will affect school activities for each grade.

"Orientation for students in grades 5, 7 and 9 is also on Wednesday, the first day of school," an alert on the school website said.

Mala thanks emergency responders, town officials, Avon police, the Avon Volunteer Fire Department, and emergency management staff for their coordinated efforts with Avon Public Schools.

"I wish to specifically recognize the efforts of Jamie DiPace, the town’s Emergency Management Director," Mala wrote. "On behalf of the school district and those whom we serve, I am pleased to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all who are working to keep our community safe and address the issues associated with the hurricane."

Update, 2:21 p.m.

CL&P reports that 876 Avon customers do not have power. Crews are out now restoring power.

A primary focus right now is West Avon Road, where a tree snapped and is resting on power lines. Avon Emergency Management Director and Fire Marshal James DiPace said that CL&P crews are working on it this afternoon and are replacing a utility pole. For now, the road remains closed at Arch Road and Biltmore Court.

Arch Road, Country Club Road, Lovely Street and Old Farms Road (until Thompson Road) are open as possible detours to the west part of town and Farmington. Waterville Road has also reopened after a transformer fire and downed live wire that happened Sunday afternoon.

There was also a live wire at Burnham Road Sunday evening, so that road is currently closed.

Other wires are down in Avon, DiPace said.

"Everyone should assume every wire that is down is live," DiPace said, indicating that residents should stay away.

Resident without power should call CL&P at 860-486-2000.

Some drivers were driving around town road closure barriers and through police tape yesterday, and DiPace cautions against doing so.

"If the roads are closed, if you see barriers and if they’re across the travel lane, people need to stay out," DiPace said. They’re there for the safety of the public.

Once the roads are cleared and town emergency personnel deem them safe, the barricades and police tape will be removed.

DiPace said that in addition to the flooding at Fisher Meadows, Tillotson Road and Old Farms Road, there is a lot of flooding at the Blue Fox run golf course.

Update, 12:53 p.m.

Connecticut Light & Power has restored the electricity of nearly 1,000 Avon customers and 870 more remain without power.

That is the equivalent of 10 percent of the customer base in Avon.

Original Story

Sun peaked through the clouds in Avon on Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Irene left Connecticut and wind continued on and off into the evening, and the National Weather Service predicts that the sun will stay Monday through Thursday.

The calm after the storm does not reflect the passage of a hurricane turned tropical storm in many parts of town, but in others there are downed wires and trees still, flooding and power outages.

"It's hard to say at this point" how much damage remains, Steve Bartha, Avon assistant to the town manager, said. "We certainly planned for the worst and things didn’t turn out that way."

As of 8:11 p.m. on Sunday, 20 percent of Avon Connecticut Light & Power customers were without power, or 1,810 people 651,994 who lost power statewide. The CL&P outage map is currently inaccessible, and updates will be provided as they become available.

Bartha said that he is not sure when power will be restored to the entire town, but that CL&P crews are currently out repairing the damage. CL&P prioritizes its response, for instance, restoring powers in areas where hospitals are located and many senior citizens live, he said.

Despite the amount of power outage, the most in the state since Hurricane Gloria in 1985, he said that town hall has not received many calls about power outages. He said that police dispatch did not have as many calls as during other storms. Bartha suspected that was because many people instead referred to the CL&P website and automated power outage information system.

"By and large, it seems that the public did a good job of preparing for this, so it makes emergency management a lot easier when they do that," Bartha said.

He added that residents that have questions about their power can contact CL&P at 860-486-2000.

Arch Road homes, Miller Foods and the First Company Governor's Horse Guards lost power due to a snapped tree that fell on the power lines on West Avon Road, which led to a road closure between Arch and Biltmore Court.

Many traffic lights on West Avon Road were not working. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a press conference Sunday night that if drivers come to a traffic light that is not functioning, to treat it like a stop sign.

Portions of Waterville Road lost power Sunday and some nearby neighborhoods after a transformer fire. The road was blocked off at the intersection with Valley View Drive because of a live wire that was still there as of 5 p.m. on Sunday.

"Waterville Road was the one that everyone's focused on," Bartha said.

Bartha said that it is his understanding that CL&P has cleared the downed wires.

Closer to Route 44 off of Waterville Road, a tree fell across Chidsey Road and a utility pole fell onto a resident's yard.

Jeff Coghan, of Turn Berry Lane, tweeted @AvonPatch on Twitter that he lost his power Sunday.

"Killing time in the power outage watching ipad," he tweeted. "Thank goodness it charged.

Avon Patch reader Lori Shields reported Sunday evening that an oak tree fell across Burnham Road where it intersects with Sleepy Hollow and Cheltenham Road and that there were live wires in that area.

In addition to the power outages, Irene caused flooding as rivers, lakes, ponds and creeks overflowed.

Avon Old Farms School's playing fields are flooded, Bartha said, because the land is at a "low-lying level" near the Farmington River, Thompson Brook, and nearby creeks and ponds. Fisher Meadows was flooded, as well, as of late Sunday afternoon. Old Farms Road and Tillotson are closed off in that area due to flooding.

Secret Lake Road was closed beyond the Avon Volunteer Fire Department's Company Two station. Secret Lake water levels were high Sunday and many yards by the lake were flooded. New Road was also closed due to flooding.

Town officials were scheduled to meet late morning Monday to discuss updates and a plan of action for the cleanup.

Town Hall is open, returning to its regular hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Many businesses were scheduled to re-open on Monday.

Editor's Note: Avon Patch will provide updates as they become available. E-mail Jessie.Sawyer@patch.com to share your experience or storm photos, or 860-356-6339. You can also follow Editor Jessie Sawyer on Twitter @AvonPatch or view updates on the Avon Patch Facebook page.