Gov. Rell, mayors gearing up for Earl

East Hartford, Conn. (WTNH) - Governor Jodi Rell is not taking any chances when it comes to Hurricane Earl. She held a conference call Tuesday with mayors of the state's biggest cities.

Rell's spokeswoman says the governor held conference calls with state emergency and city officials Tuesday about the state's readiness to deal with the impact of the storm. She said they will continue to observe the storm's movements before taking significant action.

As the governor and commissioner worked the phones keeping all 169 communities in the loop, it's not the first time they have had to use Emergency Operations Center this year.

"In March we had flooding that exceeded the 500-year thresholds in southeast Connecticut,” said EOC Commissioner Peter Boynton. “We had tornadoes in Connecticut in June and July. So we make those preparations all year long."

As of Tuesday night, Connecticut is likely to receive only a glancing blow. But it's early and emergency management is watching every move made by the hurricane and they want people to be prepared just in case.

"Have a kit, and that means if we get hit by the storm, be prepared to be on your own for the storm – food, water, medication,” Commissioner Boyton said.

A state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security spokesman said the agency is working with the national weather service and FEMA to prepare for the Category 4 storm. The hurricane is being forecasted to remain over open ocean before turning north and running parallel to the U.S. coast by late Thursday or early Friday.

Again, Hurricane Earl is projected then to curve back out to sea, perhaps brushing New England or far-eastern Canada.