Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

With school bus-stranded children, traffic paralysis and fired officials last December's legacy, state emergency preparation and business officials said this afternoon that one year later Rhode Island is well prepared for a possibly "significant" storm predicted to begin between 11 a.m. and noon tomorrow.

Snow may vary from 7 inches to a foot in different parts of the state, with possibly less than that in some coastal areas, when all is said and done tomorrow night, according to a National Weather Service report presented at the news conference attended by officials from the state Emergency Management Agency, transportation, the State Police, and Chamber of Commerce.

Accumulations of 1 to 2 inches per hour are possible. Heaviest snowfall is projected to arrive between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Lauren Slocum, president of the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has heard from a number of businesses that are staggering the hours that employees work, are allowing people to work "remotely," and others to have flexible hours.

The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce issued an e-mail this afternoon that offered these recommendations:

* Employers are urged to "be as flexible as possible" in terms of employees working at home or taking leave.

* Employers are urged to "stagger dismissal of employees leaving after 12 noon."

"We're very well prepared for tomorrow," said Michael P. Lewis, the state Department of Transportation director.

Lewis said the DOT has a "full compliment of resources" available -- about 100 state vehicles and upawards of 400 private vendors. The DOT will begin pre-treating roads in early morning so that as snow begins, it begins melting too, he said.

It takes about two hours to cover all the state highways, Lewis said.

But, Lewis warned, during a heavy snowfall, do not expect roads to be 100 percent clear. He urged people to drive cautiously -- and only drive if you must. If, for instance, a person can delay a trip until Saturday, considering doing that.

Having as few people on the roads as possible is important for letting plows get their jobs done.

State Police will have additional patrols with emphasis on metropolitican areas, particularly Providence. If cars are towed, they will be taken to "designated areas," a State Police captain said, and that information will be given to the motorists at the time of the tow.

The National Guard has equipment staged in certain locations.

J. David Smith, executive director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, said that at the close of business this afternoon the agency will maintain the state Emergency Operations Center at "Level 2 activation," in which at least two people are in the operations center monitoring what he called a "state of the art," Internet-based technology that "provides situation awareness."

"We feel the state of Rhode Island is as prepared as we ever have been," Smith said.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

 Tags  Providence Rhode Island winter storm

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