Millions in the Northeast are under blizzard warnings from Maryland to New Hampshire as a powerful winter storm threatens the region. The National Weather Service says the combination of heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding may cause impossible travel conditions and power outages. Forecasters expect the strongest part of the storm to hit this evening and into the overnight hours with the possibility of two-to-four inches of snowfall per hour and 50-to-70 mile per hour wind gusts.
In Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee has declared a State of Emergency banning all commercial vehicles from state roads.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has approximately 500 state and vendor plows and 60,000 tons of salt available. Roads have been thoroughly pretreated, and crews will be reporting well in advance of the storm.
The Executive Office of Housing announced the activation of all emergency pop-up sites to help Rhode Islanders in need remain safe and warm during the storm. The following emergency pop-up sites operated by the R.I. Council of Churches will be open from 5:00 p.m. tonight to 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 24. To access a site listed below, individuals should first go to Matthewson Street Church.
Matthewson Street Church – 134 Matthewson St., Providence
Community Church of Providence – 372 Wayland Ave., Providence
Open Table of Christ – 1520 Broad St., Providence
In Providence, meantime, Mayor Brett Smiley says the city had increased its towing capacity by four-fold in order to enforce the city's parking ban.
Utility Companies are warning that because of the extreme conditions- power outages that may have taken a few hours may take a couple of days.
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images News / Getty Images