Last-minute preps for January Nor’easter
By John Krinjak
Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com
Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — With just hours until the snow starts falling, folks across our area are making last-minute preparations.
"Yeah, it’s been a busy day, everybody prepping for the storm tomorrow," said Marcelo Arantes, manager at the Providence Home Depot.
At Home Depot in Providence, it’s an uphill battle to keep supplies on the shelves.
"Ice melt generators shovels, wood pellets," said Arantes.
The manager says they’ve moved 6,000 bags of salt–just Wednesday.
"I needed some melting salts and a new shovel for the snow," said Gracia Ordonez of Pawtucket.
At gas stations in Seekonk, lines stretched into the street as people waited to buy gas.
"Just getting ready for tonight, fueling up for tomorrow," said Justin Aronson of Riverside.
Aronson is a plow driver. He has some advice for drivers Thursday.
"Stay off the roads and let the plow drivers do their job, definitely number one," said Aronson.
Gov. Gina Raimondo echoed that message, saying, "Do not go out tomorrow."
She says power outages are likely.
"Make plans for if you lose power…if you lose power leave your home," said Raimondo.
National Grid officials say they’re ready.
"We have the amount of crews that we expect that we need to restore power as quickly as we can. We have additional crews coming in," said National Grid president Tim Horan.
In Pawtucket an explosion on a high-voltage line on Roosevelt Avenue–already testing that readiness.
It knocked out power in that immediate area, but no one was hurt.
"Our folks will have a tough time working in these conditions so we have to rotate them in and out as we can," said Horan.
Towns and cities will be opening up warming shelters for people who do lose power.
However many including Providence do not allow pets.
No word yet on when the state could open any sort of 24-hour emergency shelters, but the governor says they’re making preparations to do so.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018
