Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

CRANSTON, RI -- Gov. Donald L. Carcieri addressed the media Friday night at the state's Emergency Management Agency's headquarters on London Ave. in Cranston.

Carcieri said traffic on Route 95 was slow and light. Still, he said, "Be cautious. Stay off the road unless you absolutely have to" drive.

At 5 p.m. some four inches of snow had already fallen. An additional five or six inches is expected before the storm subsides around midnight. Blustering winds are expected to raise havoc tonight.

The roads should be clear by tomorrow, said Michael Lewis, state Department of Transportation director.

Carcieri said the state EMA had received few requests for assistance from local officials.

Carcieri wore the same boots he had on in Afghanistan last year during the Dec. 13 storm that brought the larger Providence metropolitan area to a standstill, leaving motorists and children in school buses stranded for hours, and a brown and white plaid flannel shirt, reminiscent of the one then Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy wore during the blizzard of '78.

Asked by a reporter about the similarity of his shirt and Garrahy's, Carcieri said, "His was a lot more colorful than mine is."

As for the state's response last year compared to this year, Carcieri said, "My sense is we don't have anywhere the volume -- of traffic -- we had last year."

And no, there was no special treatment for Carcieri, EMA officials, or reporters. The EMA's parking lot was not plowed.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

 Tags  Gov. Carcieri winter storm

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