Hurricane Sandy proved to be as powerful as many forecasters predicted when it hit Wilton and Fairfield County at the end of October. The storm descended on the town, knocking down trees and power lines and leaving thousands of residents without power for more than a week. At one point, more than 80 percent of residents were without power. The felled trees also made travel difficult and many residents filled gas cans with fuel to power generators. Some without power spent the time at the town's shelter at Miller-Driscoll School.
The storm’s arrival prompted Tom Sato to open his new Wilton Hardware store days earlier than he expected, allowing residents to get generators, duct tape and other supplies.
Wilton Public Schools were closed for six days because of the lack of power and dangerous road conditions. The Wilton Board of Education eventually rescheduled the 2012-13 school year to make up the days lost to weather. Included in that was the elimination of the last three days of the scheduled February vacation.
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