Pax Hits Connecticut: Malloy Closes State Offices [Updated]

Update at 8:15 a.m. on

With as much as a foot of snow possible through much of the state, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has ordered non-essential state employees not to go to work. 

(In a separate announcement, the Governor's Office said Malloy will hold a news conference at 8:32 a.m.)

Here's the news release, emailed at 7:53 a.m.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that he has ordered all first and second shift, non-essential state employees to not report to work on Thursday, Feb. 13, in response to winter storm conditions across the state.  State employees are encouraged to contact their supervisors for further guidance.

“As conditions are predicted to intensify throughout the day, we are ordering all first and second shift, non-essential state employees to stay home today.  I don’t like the term non-essential because I think everyone does important work, but with poor road conditions I don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way. With heavy snow falling across the state and forecast to continue throughout the day, I am asking residents to avoid unnecessary travel."

Our original report follows:

With winter storm "Pax" packing a punch, Connecticut is bracing to get hit.

Many school districts announced cancellations Wednesday night, just as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy held a press conference to go over what plans he is putting in place to weather the winterstorm, which is expected to dump upwards of a foot of wet, heavy snow across the state starting at about 3 a.m.

CL&P, the state's largest electric provider, is also bracing for the storm — and the potential for power outages.

During his press conference, Malloy announced that he is activating the state's Emergency Operations Center at 6 a.m. — two hours after a ban on tandem trucks will go into effect on primary and secondary roads.

In addition, non-essential state employees have been told not to report to work till 10 a.m., Malloy said.

“I am going to convene an early morning call with emergency management officials tomorrow and, at that point, determine if additional delays or possibly a full closure are necessary,” Malloy said.

'CL&P is Prepared'  

Connecticut Light & Power sent out a press release today in which the utility said it's prepared to safely and quickly respond to any power outages that might occur. "The company will activate its emergency response plan tomorrow morning and will have crews standing by across the state," the release states. "The forecast calls for heavy, wet snow in some areas which could pose a threat to trees and electrical equipment, possibly causing power outages."

Report an Outage to CL&P   

CL&P is reminding customers to report an outage at 800-286-2000 and also to stay at least 10 feet away from any downed power lines and immediately call 911 to report them. 

Report an Outage to UI

To report a power outage to United Illuminating Co., call 800-722-5584 (800-7-CALL-UI). 

• Flashlights with spare batteries 
• A battery-operated radio or TV 
• First-aid kit and medications 
• Canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated foods 
• A manual can opener 
• Bottled water 
• Baby or pet supplies (if needed) 
• Important phone numbers