Despite widespread property damage and power outages, emergency shelters in Winsted and New Hartford saw sporadic usage Monday.

Following Winter Storm Alfred, which plowed through Connecticut on Saturday, wide swaths of northwestern Connecticut were without power. Even at 4:07 p.m. on Monday, Connecticut Light and Power was reporting that all of New Hartford’s 3,240 customers were without power, as were all of their 6,146 customers in Winsted.

But both towns have seen some usage of their emergency shelters. Winsted Town Manager Dale Martin was at the town’s shelter at the Winsted Senior Center and said that approximately 35 people used their services Sunday night. The town opened up an expanded shelter at the Winchester Grange Hall that night, but closed it Monday morning due to lack of use. Martin asked that anyone using Winsted’s shelter Monday night bring their own blankets and pillows.

“We're serving meals,” Martin said. He added, “Town Hall's not open, but we're running everything out of the senior center.”

Breakfast included oatmeal and toast on Monday, courtesy of two local businesses.

“Both Kelly's Kitchen and IGA have been incredible with their support,” said Martin.

Martin said Winsted escaped injuries or fatalities. Two conference calls with state officials predicted that Winsted would go without power for as long as a week due to the severity of the damage to transmission lines.

“We've got the same shortages as a lot of people do,” Martin said.

Similarly, nearly every gas station in Winsted is offline. Martin has requested a fuel truck from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but that fuel would only be available to town vehicles. In the meantime, Martin is working with Connecticut Light and Power to coordinate a liaison, but as of 3 p.m. on Monday, Martin had not heard back.

“We'll just hunker down and wait for power,” Martin said.

New Hartford residents took the same tack, taking advantage of the warming center at town hall. According to Emergency Management Director James Farkas, though, the center would likely shift their operations elsewhere later.

“We don’t have enough crew to stay here all night,” Farkas said.

Residents had stopped by to charge their cell phones throughout the day, Farkas said, as town hall still had electricity. The town’s shelter was expected to move to the Antolini School at approximately 4 p.m., according to Farkas. The other shelter, at New Hartford Fire Department Station 1, could remain open concurrently.