Fairfield Socked by Snow

Fairfield Socked by Snow:

Unofficial accumulation 20 inches by 9 a.m.

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 1/12)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

1/12/11

Fairfield, CT – By 9 a.m. Wednesday, a slow-moving storm that had entered the area from the southwest mid-evening Tuesday had deposited an unofficial 20 inches of snow. The white stuff continued to come down making visibility limited and choking local roadways. School had already been cancelled for the day and many area businesses had followed suit.

Braving the elements, Patch padded out along Reef Road, the Post Road and adjacent neighborhoods to take a reading.

Along Smith Street, drifts were halfway up front doors and garages and cars were all but buried. The road had gotten a quick plowing in the middle of the night but not since. The main connecting artery, Oldfield Road, had been cleared though, as had adjacent Reef Road.

Reliable 7-11 at 257 Reef Road had stayed open throughout the night. Its store lights were a welcoming beacon and store interior a haven for the few passersby. Gabby Isho, 7-11 manager, who had started his shift at midnight, said, “It was very slow through the night. It was mostly police, town workers, snow removal crews… all coming in for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. There were two guys stuck in the parking lot around 1:30, before our plow guy had arrived. I helped them get out. I haven’t seen this much snow in the past 10 years.”

Vic Gabinski, 58, and his son Lucas, 22, from Lalley Blvd., were trudging south on Reef. “I’ve been up since 4:30,” said Lucas. “He loves big storms and weather events,” said his dad. “I’d say this is the most snow we’ve ever had in Fairfield. We’ve walked to town and the beach. We’ve seen cars buried, mid-thigh drifts, 50-foot visibility. The rate of accumulation has been ridiculous – about four inches an hour.”

Lt. Mike Sullivan at Fire Station One on Reef, said, “The morning has been a real challenge. We had a report of a gas leak in the Barberry area and are having difficulty getting to the address. A lot of mains have been plowed but not the secondary roads.”

In preparation for the storm, Sullivan said, “We put tire chains on all vehicles and increased the manpower for each piece today. I believe another engine is also being added at Station Five (on Congress Street). The night wasn’t crazy, it just takes long to get everywhere. We can’t go fast with the chains.”

Across the street at the police station, all personnel had managed to report. With regard to any incidents during the night, Officer Ed Terrifay commented, “There were just a couple of medical calls, one minor accident and a couple of vehicles that were stuck in the snow. We’ve got tire chains on the patrol cars and all our all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles are on the road.”

As he spoke, a snow-covered Ann Street resident walked in reporting that, as she was headed to her job at Bridgeport Hospital, her car had gotten stuck on the I-95 on-ramp at North Benson Road. Terrifay put in a call to state police, which was reportedly very busy with calls and wouldn’t be able to respond for a while.

Making his way on foot up Reef, Ed Roman, a Millard Street resident, was heading to work in Stamford. He works at a continuing care retirement community and said, “We’re a 24-hour operation with clients that require sub-acute care, so I have to be there. I’d rather be at home having hot chocolate with the kids of course, but you do what you have to do.”

Coming up behind him, Robert Becker, who works for a financial firm in midtown New York, was rushing for a train. “I’m trying to catch the 8:20, headed to the city, gotta work if I can.”

As Becker trudged across the Post Road and up Sanford Street, two police cars, two ambulances and three plows passed.

At his Reef Road home, England-born Chris Grantham struggled with a snowblower to clear his driveway. “It’s never been like this in England. I’ll be on this for another hour I’d guess. I don’t think anyone’s going to be doing much today.”

Around the corner at his home on Oldfield, John Weber made his best shoveling effort. “It’s a lot of snow. The good news is the main snow’s light and fluffy, but where the plows go, it’s crunchier. The kids would love to go out sledding if we can get out.”

Weighing in from home where he was shoveling out himself, First Selectman Ken Flatto provided an official summary of the situation. “The snow removal crews have been out since 11:30 last night. We have 35 heavy pieces out there. They’ve plowed just about every street twice, but within an hour or so, drifts cover them again. They’re trying to keep up, but it’s a struggle. Meanwhile, many state-maintained roads only have one lane clear.”

Looking ahead at the day, Flatto said, “The snow is petering out so we should be able to make a much bigger dent soon. Town buildings are closed until 1 p.m. and there will be a skeleton crew this afternoon. We are urging people not to go out if they don’t have to.”