How Boston Prepares for a Snowstorm – And What You Can Do
The city’s public works department is readying more than 600 pieces of equipment for the upcoming storm, gearing up for what could be the biggest storm Boston has seen in years. The DPW starts their preparations by pre-treating as many streets as possible, prepping the salters, sanders and plows, and coordinating with the mayor’s office to get residents to keep their cars out of the way. See this video on how they get ready. The mayor is also trying to reduce traffic by urging employers to let employees work from home and requiring only essential city personnel to come in to work. Mayor Thomas Menino has already declared a snow emergency starting at noon Friday, meaning you need to move your car off these streets so that DPW vehicles can clear the snow. During declared snow emergencies, discounted parking is available at several parking lots and garages to cars that display Boston resident parking stickers. On streets other than major arteries, do not park within 20 feet of an intersection or further than one foot from the curb, as this impedes access for both emergency vehicles and snow plows. Also: Parking space savers must be removed no more than 48 hours after a snow emergency is lifted. The City’s Department of Public Works will remove space savers left out beyond this period. Do not throw snow back into the street. “Throwbacks” force the city to remove snow from the same street twice. Shovel out fire hydrants, catch basins and pedestrian ramps close to your home. Property owners are reminded to shovel snow from sidewalks that abut their homes and businesses and any handicapped ramps close to your homes or business. Do not double-park. Put your trash out early. Trash collection will begin earlier Friday, at 6 a.m., in order to help Public Works crews clear roads later in the day. During the storm, the DPW will use SnowCOP coordinate its vehicles, to pinpoint DPW vehicles that are stalled for more than 5 minutes, and to see where snow complaints are coming in and compare their locations to the concentrations of snowplows in the area. The DPW may have to temporarily stop their work if the storm gets too intense. More Storm Coverage: South End Storm Center MBTA Service Suspended on Friday Afternoon MBTA: How to Know What’s Running During a Snowstorm NSTAR Offers Tips to on How to Prepare for Snowstorm Weekend Storm Alert Upgraded to Blizzard Watch Storm Could Drop up to 18 Inches on Boston Boston Snow Emergency Parking in the South End Boston Remembers the Blizzard of 1978 […]
NSTAR Offers Tips to on How to Prepare for Snowstorm
With a major nor’easter expected to impact the Boston area beginning Friday, NSTAR announced on Thursday it will will activate its emergency response plan for a significant impact on the electric grid. “We’re well into our preparations for responding to potentially widespread power outages resulting fromthe nor’easter’s high winds and heavy snow,” said Craig Hallstrom, President of NSTAR Electric. “Weprepare year-round for storms like this and stand ready to address damage to our system as soon as itbecomes safe to do so.” NSTAR said 3,000 employees are currently preparing to assist in the storm reponse effort, and the company has also secured additional contractor line and tree crews. The company is advising customers to make advanced preparations as well. You can can prepare for storm damage and power outages by assembling a storm kit in advance Some suggestions for items to include in a storm kit are: Flashlights with spare batteries A battery-operated radio or TV First-aid kit and medications Canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated foods A manual can opener Bottled water Baby or pet supplies Important phone numbers To report power outages, use NSTAR’s online “Report an Outage” tool or call NSTAR at 800-592-2000 to report your outage. Tips if the power goes out: Stay clear of all fallen tree limbs and electrical wires as well as anything they are touching – such as puddles and metal fences. Assume all downed wires are “live” and stay away. Call NSTAR and local emergency personnel. Persons dependent on electrically powered life support systems should have a pre-arranged plan concerning power outage situations. Prepare a list of emergency phone numbers and have it readily available. Disconnect appliances that will go on automatically when the power is restored. These include refrigerators, stoves, furnaces and water heaters. Turn off appliances such as washers, dryers, computers and TV’s. Once power is restored, turn appliances back on one at a time to avoid a power surge. If using candles or matches, be extremely careful and never leave open flames unattended. Food in your refrigerator will keep for 6 to 9 hours, and food in your freezer will keep between 36 and 48 hours. It will help to minimize the number of times the door is opened. In the winter, dress in layers and wear a hat. What is essential to your snowstorm kit? Tell us in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch