BackCountry Greenwich braved the ravages of Superstorm Sandy on Oct 29, 2012. To this day, many of us are jolted back to those terrifying winds and rain, followed by 11 long, dark, cold days and nights until the power came back on. We were grateful to the Round Hill Store and Service Station and the Round Hill Volunteer Firehouse for keeping their generators and lights on and doors open.
The Town of Greenwich had two 24/7 emergency shelters available and at capacity—one at the Bendheim Civic Center in Glenville and one at Eastern Middle School. Only a few other public buildings were open for a few hours each day. People waited in long lines at the Greenwich Main Library to recharge their cell phones so they could connect to the outside world. After Sandy, the Round Hill Association mobilized to create an additional shelter at the Round Hill Community House, at 397 Round Hill Road.
The resulting ERC (Emergency Recharging Center) is now an integral part of the Town of Greenwich’s Emergency Operations plans. If and when another major storm disrupts power in Mid- or BackCountry, the Town will give the RHA the green light (once it’s safe to travel) to open the ERC from 11AM TO 4PM daily until the power is back on. With a generous contribution from the RHA, the Round Hill Community House now has a generator and enough power and power strips to accommodate as many as 100 cell phones or laptops charging simultaneously (for up to 165 persons gathering at one time). The Round Hill Store is on call to provide the ERC with comfort food and beverages during its open hours.
Are you a member of the RHA or do you live near the Round Hill Community House? Please consider signing up to volunteer at the ERC in the event of a major power outage. Let us know you are willing to help by sending an email to contact@roundhillassn.com or ngraymra@gmail.com. Thank you!
