Forty-eight hours after the end of the Blizzard of 2013 virtually every street in the City of Providence has been addressed with plows or heavy equipment. Following a block-by-block inventory of the City yesterday, crews worked through the night to address the streets most in need of attention. A small number of streets remain impassable due to obstructions, and crews will work today to address those issues.
Plows and large equipment continue to be deployed throughout the City to widen roadways and intersections.
Public safety officials urge motorists to use extreme caution when traveling today and in the coming days. Motorists are reminded to watch for pedestrians walking in roadways and should treat all intersections with obstructed signals or power outages as four-way stops. Pedestrians are urged to use the sidewalk whenever possible.
WEATHER UPDATE
Snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected for a few hours this morning with temperatures in the 20's.
POWER OUTAGES
National Grid reports that the number of households without power in Providence has been reduced to 100 from more than 9,000.
PARKING BAN
A citywide parking ban will lift at noon today.
SIDEWALK CLEARING
Property owners are required to remove snow from sidewalks. Snow must not be shoveled into public roadways.
FIRE HYDRANTS
Residents are asked to assist first responders by shoveling out fire hydrants adjacent to their property. Residents are urged not to rebury fire hydrants that have already been cleared.
SNOW ON ROOFTOPS POSES SAFETY RISK
With freezing rain forecast for today, residents are asked to closely monitor snow accumulation on business and residential buildings. Heavy snow can add stress to structures. Flat, commercial roofs are most vulnerable to stress, but slanted structures may also be susceptible. Residents should take reasonable precautions to monitor their homes and businesses and safely remove snow from roofs as necessary.
TRASH COLLECTION DELAYED
There is no trash or recycling pickup today in the City of Providence and all pickup is delayed by one day. Residents whose usual garbage collection day is Monday will have their trash and recycling picked up on Tuesday. All trash and recycling pickups for the rest of the week will also be one day later.
Residents are asked to leave trash and recycling bins at the end of their driveways for collection. Trash and recycling cans should not be left in roadways.
CLOSURES IN THE CITY
Providence Public Schools, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and the Bank of America Skating Center are all closed today.