Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe Issues Snow Storm Warning To Residents

WESTPORT, CT — First Selectman Jim Marpe has issued the following announcement in anticipation of Tuesday's major snow storm:

A blizzard warning is in effect throughout Fairfield County and is anticipated to heavily impact the area late tonight through Tuesday. Westport Schools and Town Offices will be closed tomorrow. There are several factors that may make this storm dangerous:

• Expected snow accumulations of 18-24 inches will make driving extremely dangerous, including possible white-out conditions, all day on Tuesday.
• Strong winds may result in downed electrical lines and loss of power.
• Frigid temperatures may create additional hardships for some of our citizens, particularly the elderly. Please keep pets indoors.

Proactive measures have been taken to prepare for the storm:

• Westport’s Emergency Operations Center is monitoring the situation and will provide emergency updates as necessary.
• Snow plows and supplies are ready. Key personnel will remain at a Public Works facility to ensure our streets become passable for emergency vehicles and residents in the shortest period possible. The streets are plowed in order of priority. Main (collector) roads are addressed first with special attention to steep hills and difficult intersections. A single pass may be made on side streets to keep them open, but primary emphasis will be placed on main roads until the storm has stopped.
• Eversource is in continual contact with the Town’s emergency management staff and will have additional resources available to repair electrical problems.
• Additional information and updates will be provided periodically via the Town’s Website www.westportct.gov , Facebook page (www.facebook.com/westportct.gov) and Twitter (@westportct.gov) as well as Staples Radio, WWPT, 90.3 FM

It is recommended that residents take the following precautions:

• Do not drive. Do not park vehicles on any Town road. Vehicles on Town roads impede snow removal and prevent emergency vehicle access. Once the storm has passed, please continue to use best judgment in determining road conditions.
• In anticipation of an outage, residents may wish to increase the thermostat temperature in their homes a few degrees at this time.
• Check on neighbors who may require additional assistance.
• Subscribe to Westport’s CodeRED system at https://cne.coderedweb.com/ to be notified of emergency situations.
• Contact Eversource at 1-800-286-2000 to report an outage or speak to a customer service representative.

The safest place to spend this storm event is warm at home. However, if you are using your fireplace or woodstove, please use utmost caution and let the ashes remain in the fireplace for several days until there are no remaining hot embers. If you use portable space heaters in your home, be extremely careful and remember that space heaters require SPACE—nothing that can burn should be within three feet of any part of the heater.

Safety is the utmost priority. If there is a power outage, repairs will be made when it is safe to do so. At the height of the storm, due to high winds and potential for impassable roads, Eversource will not send linemen to repair downed wires until it is safe to do so.

Check on intake/outtake vents around your home – remove snow buildup against buildings

Town Emergency and Public Works crews appreciate your cooperation as we prepare for and manage the extreme weather conditions.

Photo credit: Chris Dehnel