Posted on 02/13/2003 3:36:52 PM PST by Petronski
WINSTED, Conn. -- Paul West didn't take the federal government's terrorism alert lightly.
By Wednesday, half his entire 19th century farmhouse was covered with plastic to protect his family from a chemical or biological attack. He planned to finish the job Thursday.
West paid $250 for 3,500 square feet of plastic and other supplies Wednesday morning.
"Why wait?" West said. "If there is an attack, how are you going to get the plastic?"
West said he had a hard time finding enough plastic for his Platt Hill Road home. He initially wanted to make a "safe room" using plastic.
"It's an 1800s house so there's no modern insulation and it has the original windows too," West said. "I thought it would be best to cover the whole thing."
West, a 40-year-old clockmaker, joined other Connecticut residents this week stocking up on plastic, food and other supplies.
On Friday, the government raised the nation's terror alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest level, because of intelligence information indicating that al-Qaida was planning attacks on the United States.
Federal officials have recommended that Americans take basic disaster-preparation steps such as maintaining a three-day stockpile of food and water. They also recommend obtaining duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal a house in a chemical or biological attack.
West said when his wrapping job is done, he'll have piece of mind.
"I'll just wait and hope nothing happens," West said. "I have to admit, I do feel safer. Maybe that's just psychological, but that's OK. It'll help us sleep better."
In Greenwich, the closest town in the state to New York City, many residents were busy stocking up, or thinking about stocking up, on Wednesday to prepare for a potential attack.
John Lovell finished buying items on an emergency shopping list, including canned tuna and sardines, batteries, firewood, duct tape and plastic sheeting.
The 71-year-old retiree believed a terrorist strike wasn't more likely this week than past weeks, but he said the purchases made him feel secure.
"It doesn't cost that much to have things ready," he said in the parking lot of the Grand Union supermarket on West Putnam Avenue.
At the Food Emporium in Greenwich, Laura Turley said she had purchased a large supply of canned soups and baby products, such as diapers, baby food and powdered milk, several weeks ago.
"It's just in case, and besides, we'll use it eventually," she said.
Turley said her family hadn't yet purchased duct tape or plastic sheeting, but said the idea made good sense.
Hardware stores have been selling duct tape and plastic sheeting like hot cakes.
Feinsod's Hardware on Sound Beach Avenue sold nearly 100 rolls of duct tape between Monday and Wednesday afternoon, and dozens of 10-foot-by-25-foot plastic sheets, said Andrew Wolf, the assistant manager.
"It's definitely the reason people are buying this stuff," Wolf said, referring to the government's warning.
Wolf said he wouldn't purchase the duct tape and plastic sheeting just yet, because he felt it was premature.
"I'm a little bit worried about it, but I'm not taking drastic measures," he said.
In Windsor, security has been increased at municipal buildings, such as Town Hall, L.P. Wilson Community Center, and the two public libraries in response to the increased national terror alert level.
The tougher security includes presenting photo identification and sign-in at some town buildings.
"Local governments, by definition, are a soft target. I don't believe Windsor government facilities are a target, but when you're between Boston and New York, stranger things could happen." Town Manager R. Leon Churchill Jr. said Wednesday.
Gene Arters, director of the Office of Emergency Management and Civil Preparedness in Norwich, advised people to remain calm.
"Terrorists are after numbers," Arters said. "They want to make a statement by hitting thousands of people in entities that attract large concentrations of people. They've probably never heard of Norwich."
But several large facilities in southeastern Connecticut could affect Norwich if they were hit, Arters said. They include the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford, and the U.S. Navy submarine base and Electric Boat shipyard in Groton.
Strange
Just a piece of it, eh?
Yep. You can stick a square of duct tape on the plastic as a reinforcement type thing (to keep the staple from pulling through the visqueen), then staple it a few times, then put duct tape over the staples.
I don't know if that's what he did, but I've done that before. I don't know if it keeps microscopic stuff out, but it sure kept the wind out of a garage I lived in once...
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