State and local leaders met at Bridgeport's Emergency Operations Center Sunday to make sure coastal communities are prepared for Isaias.

With the storm moving slowly off of Florida’s east coast early Sunday, forecasters say Connecticut may be in danger.

"As we look at and track the National Weather Service predictions, this storm is coming up the coast, it's going to hit us," says Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. "Put yourself in a position, if we have a bad storm, if we have power outages, if we have flooding, that you've done the preparatory work."

City officials are urging the public to clean storm drains to protect from damage caused by heavy rains and flash flooding expected in the area on Tuesday.

"If you see a problem, call the UI company, if you see lines that are out, don't go near them, if you see flooding, and you're driving, don't drive through it, you'll find out you can get stuck there," says Ganim.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal attended the meeting as well, explaining what role he will play in the coming weeks after the storm is expected to pass.

"In the aftermath of this storm, I'm going to be working with mayors around the state, including Mayor Ganim here in Bridgeport, to make sure that FEMA and other federal agencies come to the rescue of homeowners and others that may have suffered damage," he says.

For now, officials say the community should be in prevention mode. This includes residents bringing pets inside and securing things in their yards.

"We're getting prepared as a city, but I need each resident to make sure they're prepared and remain safe and we get through this storm," says Ganim.
First responders are also reminding everyone to stay away from flooded roads and viaducts, as those can easily turn deadly.