I hope everyone is home safe and not going outside!  Here is a summary of storm imformation that was provided by the City Managers Office.  Please be careful today!

Winter Parking Ban: The City has declared that the Winter Parking Ban will be in effect beginning at 9:00 AM on Friday, February 8, 2013. This means that there is NO parking on either side of main streets, bus routes and Downtown streets. Parking is allowed only on the odd numbered side of all other streets unless otherwise posted. Illegally parked vehicles are the biggest obstacle to effective snow removal efforts.

Important Phone Numbers:

Emergency Calls 9-1-1: The Emergency 911 Communications, the Worcester Police

Department and the Worcester Fire Department will prioritize and will respond to all emergency

calls. It is imperative the 911 system is utilized for emergency calls only.

DPW Customer Service Center 508-929-1300: The Customer Service Center will be opened

and staffed from Friday, February 8, 2013 at 7:30 AM straight through the storm until Saturday,

February 9, 2013 and continuing as required depending on the severity of the storm. Customer

Service Representatives will be ready to take these calls and our Emergency Operations Center

personnel will be reviewing these calls and types of issues presented to address by priority.

Residents should call this number to report down trees, loss of heat, tree limbs, blocked

roadways or other City related storm issues. Citizens should report all trees and limbs down,

including those with entangled overhead wires. National Grid should also be notified of all

downed wires (see below).

National Grid – The 24-hour Customer Service Line is 1-800-465-1212 for all power

outages. All downed wires should be reported to National Grid. Some of these wires may be

telephone or cable wires BUT all downed wires should be considered dangerous and NOT

handled in any way. Everyone should be kept clear of the downed wires. Information as to

National Grid repairs and restoration timelines should be directed to NGrid’s customer service

personnel.

Storm Preparedness and Storm Response Tips:

ü  Check flashlights and portable radios to ensure that they are working and you have

ü  extra batteries. A radio is an important source of critical weather and emergency

ü  information during a storm.

ü  If your water supply could be affected by a power outage (a well-water pump

ü  system), fill your bathtub and spare containers with water. Water in the bathtub

ü  should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water. A pail of water

ü  from the tub poured directly into the bowl can flush a toilet.

ü  Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them

ü  back to normal once power is restored). During an outage, do not open the

ü  refrigerator or freezer door unnecessarily. Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator

ü  for up to 24 hours and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is halfpacked).

ü  If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for

ü  guidance on proper storage during an extended outage.

ü  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines when using a generator.

ü  Always use outdoors, away from windows and doors. Carbon Monoxide (CO)

ü  fumes are odorless and can quickly accumulate indoors. Never try to power the

ü  house wiring by plugging the generator directly into household wiring, a practice

ü  known as “backfeeding.” This is extremely dangerous and presents an electrocution

ü  risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utility transformer. It also

ü  bypasses some of the built-in household circuit protection devices.

ü  Clear all home exhaust vents (dryer, furnace, etc.) of snow to avoid carbon

ü  monoxide poisoning.

ü  Please assist and drag brush and limbs on our roadways that can be moved by hand

ü  to the nearest tree belts to allow for movement of vehicles.

ü  Please clear snow away from hydrants near or in front of your home to assist our

ü  Fire Department and your neighborhood.

ü  The City’s Sidewalk Snow Removal Ordinance is in place to keep our City-wide

ü  sidewalks passable and keep pedestrians safely out of the roadway. The Ordinance

ü  requires all sidewalks to be cleared 4’ wide and to be passable 10 hours after the

ü  snow ceases to fall.

ü  Remember to pace yourself when conducting snow removal at home or at your

ü  business. This is physical and exhausting work. Please be sure to hydrate

ü  throughout the effort and rest as appropriate. Major snowstorms can peak

ü  emergency room visits for injuries related to snow removal. Be careful.

ü  Please check on elderly neighbors and others in need.

ü  Please be sure to exercise caution when clearing blockages or debris from power

ü  snow blowing equipment. Disconnect power cords, turn off switch, turn off keys

ü  and remove, disconnect spark plugs and use a wooden handle or pole to free up

ü  tillers.

Be Informed:

We will continue to update the community as to current conditions and damage as a result of the

storm though all traditional media and also through Channel 12, the City’s Web site

www.worcesterma.gov, Twitter @TweetWorcester, and our Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/WorcesterMassachusettsOfficial. Tune in to local radio, TV, print media

and other media outlets to stay up-to-date.

For all other storm related information or to sign up for ALERTWorcester please visit

www.worcesterma.gov/ready.

# # # #