Preparations underway for weekend snowstorm

January 18, 2019 4:29 pm

By: Amanda Pitts

alpitts@abc6.com

@APittsABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Southern New England is preparing for this weekend’s snow, after making it halfway through January without a winter storm.

While some are dreading the snow, people we spoke to are welcoming it.

“I’m actually looking forward to the snow.”

Susie Pollock is visiting family in Providence from North Carolina. She said she’s happy to ride out the storm in a place where we know how to handle it.

“Winston-Salem actually goes into panic syndrome when the snow hits, and people just don’t know what to do and they keep crashing into each other,” said Pollock.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has been busy pre-treating the roads, but the ice that’s coming with the storm will make their jobs harder.

“If this storm goes as the forecast is right now, we get icy conditions…we’re gonna have to use a lot more salt.”

Highway Maintenance Operations Engineer for RIDOT, Joe Bucci, said 130 trucks from their own fleet will be on the roads, and if they need an extra hand, 400 more plows are on standby.

At National Grid, they’ve been preparing for days.

“We have 200 line crews, electric line crews, 80 tree crews, and then hundreds of other individuals,” said Tim Horan, President of National Grid.

National Grid President, Tim Horan, said their main concern is the wind. Crews can’t go up in the buckets if gusts exceed 35 mph.

He said National Grid trucks and other equipment will be staged at Twin River and CCRI’s Warwick campus Saturday and Sunday, ready to respond to any outages.

“If things happen out there, stay away from downed wires. If you have generators, don’t have them enclosed inside the building,” said Horan.

Plow trucks will be heading out on the roads anywhere between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday. RIDOT’s reminders are to stay home if possible, but when on the roads, don’t crowd the plows and take it slow.