Storm Center: Monday, February 11, 2013
No, for real, this should be our last day of urgent storm coverage!
6 a.m. – Hey folks, as the dek for this story implies, I really hope this is the last day of storm coverage that I’ll have to do. Right at the top of this, I’d like to thank many of you for your kind words about our coverage – They’re definitely appreciated, and in return, I thank you for the uploads to our photo gallery!
However, before I turn completely into Sally Field, let’s get on to the news stuff. As usual, for a full list of cancellations and delays in other towns, click here for the RI Broadcasters Network list.
- Significant rain is in the forecast today! While this will help with plowing and snow removal, it could also lead to flooding and roof damage. If you can do so safely, please do your best to clean drains clear of blockage, and try to remove some snow from your roof before it is loaded down with rain. Ice and slick roads are possible, and a winter weather advisory is in effect.
- According to National Grid, there are only 850 outages statewide, with 20,081 customers affected as of 5:43 a.m. Of course, 15,000 of these customers are in Washington County though. South Kingstown remains the hardest hit, with 4,465 without power, while about 2,293 are without in Narragansett. Other nearby towns: 2,859 in Charlestown, 124 in Exeter, 1,502 in Hopkinton, 2,194 in North Kingstown, 1,024 in Richmond and 1,293 in Westerly.
- Again, to repeat the consistent message from National Grid – Everyone should have power back by 11:45 p.m. Monday. Personally, my parents in Charlestown got power back around 11 p.m. Sunday, so there are crews out there working. Please realize that some reconnection jobs do require some delicate work and/or finesse, so it doesn’t matter if five or 500 workers are on the problem, it’s still going to take a significant amount of time, unfortunately.
- Another reminder – All local schools are off today. This includes the Narragansett, South Kingstown, Chariho, Westerly, North Kingstown and East Greenwich districts, all of the private and catholic schools in the area, and colleges like URI, RIC and Salve.
- The Cane Child Development Center is closed Monday because of a lack of power.
- The parking ban in South Kingstown has finally been lifted as of 5:45 a.m.
- The South Kingstown Senior Service Center and Adult Day Service Center are closed Monday.
- The South Kingstown Public Library is closed Monday. (There are / were a lot of down power lines in this general area, unfortunately.)
- Activities at St. Francis of Assisi in Wakefield are cancelled for Monday.
That’s all for now! I will update this story as needed throughout the day.
PREVIOUS STORM COVERAGE
- No School for SK, URI, Prout (refers to Monday classes)
- Storm Center: Sunday, February 10, 2013
- [VIDEO] Tree Crashes Through Roof in Somerset
- Storm Center: Saturday, February 9, 2013
- National Grid Responding to Blizzard of 2013
- Widespread Power Outages in Washington County
- 2 to 3 Feet of Snow Now Projected
- Storm Center: Friday, February 8, 2013
- URI, Prout Classes Cancelled; No Word on Gansett Yet (spoiler alert: they cancelled too!)
- Storm Center: Thursday, February 7, 2013
- Blizzard Watch Now In Effect for Friday Morning
- Post Your ’78 Blizzard Pics Here!
- Early Warning – Snowstorm Forecast for Friday Night
Sharon Sullivan
10:08 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
absolutely amazing photo of the Towers!!!! it looks surreal. such talent to capture that.
Bruce Rice
11:22 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
These Outage's are getting "old" really fast. We have been without power since 7:30 PM on Friday, it is now 11 AM Monday. The Grid's Outage Map leaves a lot to be desired, it is now reporting that our Outage started on Sunday @ 8:20 PM, REALLY ???
Jack
12:55 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
I agree. No power for three days after super storm sandy, and almost three days now with Nemo. Is there somebody I need to know to move up from the bottom of the RI National Grid priority list?
Stephen Greenwell
1:53 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Unfortunately, if you live in a rural or low density population area, you are going to be a lower priority for power restoration. It's one of the trade-offs of living in South County - South Kingstown and the Chariho region have some beautiful properties, but in a situation like this, someone has to be last when it comes to power restoration. When you combine the rural nature of the communities with the significant damage, after both Nemo and Sandy, along with reduced budgets for things like winter prep and tree trimming, you get more and longer outages.
Stephen Greenwell
1:56 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Also, since a couple people have asked about burying power lines, Popular Mechanics did look at the issue following Sandy - http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/efficiency/should-the-northeast-bury-its-power-lines-to-prevent-outages-14295683 - Basically, as opposed to around $150k per mile for overhead lines, underground lines can cost between $500k and $750k per mile. If it's a longer transmission wire, the price can be as high as $2M per mile. If power does go down, it's also more expensive to fix since you have to dig the wires up, but the outages are less frequent. If you want underground wires in your town, it would definitely take a bond project, it seems like.
Stephen Greenwell
2:25 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Passing along two more items!
1) The show must go on! Check out "Oliver" at 7 p.m. at South Kingstown High School! It's supposed to be a fantastic show.
2) The middle school boys' basketball semifinal game between the Pier School and Portsmouth has been postponed, per a source from the team. However, RIPCOA hasn't updated the bracket yet. The game will most likely be played Tuesday, but of course, poor road conditions are complicating that planning as well.
Bruce Rice
5:19 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Stephen you are correct, however living off of Route 108 and a 1/4 miles from Stop and Shop in Narragansett doesn't seem like I live in the boondocks. I have lived there for 59 rears and the last few years we have lost power more frequently in the last five years than we have in the last 50 + ! To me it is obvious that the infrastaructre of the Grid has depreciated in the last few years.
Stephen Greenwell
5:36 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Hi Bruce - Infrastructure definitely is part of the equation, but so is demand and stress placed on the system. While the actual population of both towns hasn't exploded, there is much more year-round use from all houses - cottages no longer go fallow in the winter, they're rented out - plus, there has been an explosion in power needs. Even when I was a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, I went from needing two outlets to my present situation, which is two full power strips.