Gov. Peter Shumlin had a simple message for Vermonters Sunday afternoon: Sandy is serious, but it’s not Irene.
Speaking at the Vermont Emergency Operations Center in Waterbury, Shumlin said that, unlike Tropical Storm Irene, which inundated the state with water, the greatest threat Hurricane Sandy poses to Vermont is wind.
“To those victims of Irene who are feeling so much anxiety right now, I want to be a reassuring voice,” the governor said. “In Vermont, we do not expect the kind of flooding we saw in Irene. It isn’t going to be that kind of weather event.”
(Pictured from left to right: Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, Gov. Peter Shumlin and Vermont Emergency Management Director Joe Flynn)
Shumlin said that, as a precautionary measure, he has declared a state of emergency in Vermont. Doing so will allow the governor to deploy the Vermont National Guard, if necessary, and could speed federal assistance.
“That does not mean I’m expecting the worst,” he cautioned. “What it means is we’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”
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In a battle of windbags, the Gov. can give as good as he gets.