Annual Evacuation / Hurricane Permits
A part of hurricane planning in Fairhaven is requiring residents of certain low-lying areas to annually obtain a hurricane permit. These are needed in order to return to your property after an evacuation, and are intended to protect your property from non-residents. These are available at the BPW office, 5 Arsene Street, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Fairhaven's location on Buzzards Bay and coastline is one of our major assets that created an outstanding quality of life. However, it also makes the Town vulnerable to hurricanes, Nor'easters and other types of weather-related emergencies.
Based on past history, Fairhaven takes yearly hurricane planning extremely seriously. This includes a possible evacuation order for West Island, Sconticut Neck, and other low lying areas of the Town.
When this evacuation order may be called is impossible to predict - it depends on a multitude of factors, such as time of day, speed of the storm off the southeastern United States, intensity and so on. It's important to be prepared.
Even before an evacuation order, the BPW may have to shut down water and sewer service to these areas to prevent contamination and damage to the entire system. Every attempt is made to notify the public when these shutdowns are occurring. At this point, you may want to evacuate before an evacuation is called.
Permits are available starting January 1st of each year. By obtaining your permit now, you avoid long lines and the hours of waiting that typically occur before the first forecast hurricane of the year. Proof of residency or property ownership; and your vehicle registration is required.
General information on evacuations, including shelters, preparation, what to bring, and so on can be found at Ready.gov.
