By
Will Collette
 |
| 4 PM radar map from the National Weather Service |
The
snow started early…not a good sign. With very large amounts of snow on the way
tonight and tomorrow, be prepared. See the tips on such things as snow shoveling
and contact information in my earlier article (click
here).
Gov.
Gina Raimondo is asking motorists to get off the road by 8 PM, if not earlier.
A formal travel ban kicks in at midnight and will stay in effect indefinitely.
You can be busted for a misdemeanor if you violate the ban.
National Grid notes no power outrages in Charlestown but that will likely change. Click here for their outage map which probably won't do you much good if you lose your power (and don't have a back-up generator). Their phone number to report outages is 1-800-465-1212
The
Charlestown Town Council met earlier – the CCA Party said at 1 PM; the
Clerkbase posting said 3 PM (details, details). Town Hall just sent out this
e-mail message:
CHARLESTOWN TOWN COUNCIL DECLARES "STATE-OF-EMERGENCY"
At 3:00 PM today a
state-of-emergency was declared by the Charlestown Town Council. This
declaration is in tandem with the State of Rhode Island Emergency
Services. The Governor has requested that everyone stay off the roads
after 8:00 PM tonight and a complete travel ban will be in effect as of 12:00
midnight.
All Charlestown
community services will be closed on tomorrow, Tuesday January 27, except
for public safety.
Chariho Middle School
will be opened as an emergency shelter at 2:00 PM tomorrow (Tuesday). The
town will use its Code Red notification system for any further updates.
If you would like to
sign up for our emergency notification system, known as Code Red, please access
the Towns website at www.towncharlestownri.org. Look for the Code Red icon
on the bottom left side of the screen and follow the data prompts to enter your
personal information.
As
I mentioned in my earlier article, I really don’t know what the Town’s State of
Emergency means, but it may make it easier later for the town to get
reimbursement if the President makes disaster relief funding available. I’m
sure the President will do that, though the Republican-controlled majority in
Congress may not cooperate.
Obviously,
there is a townwide ban on on-road parking and there will be no town services
other than emergency help from our Emergency Management, Fire and Police
Departments.
This
storm could cause some damage to your property, so be prepared to document it,
in case you need to either get reimbursed or file an insurance claim.
Photograph or video your damage.
Last year, I received a $50
reimbursement from RIDOT for smashing my mailbox on Route One (photo, right).
If you live
on a town road and you suffer damage from the town DPW plows, I guess reimbursement
will depend on whether you are a CCA Party donor or not since Charlestown is
very much a “pay to play” town.
Finally, somebody is already cashing in on Juno merchandise:
Be
careful out there and don’t do anything stupid. And be neighborly; lots of
folks in Charlestown are going to need some help.