Greenburgh Declares Snow Emergency

GREENBURGH, NY — The Town of Greenburgh has declared a snow emergency for the overnight hours of Monday, March 13 through Wednesday, March 15.

Police Chief Chris McNerney said parking will be prohibited at all metered parking spaces on East Hartsdale Avenue and Columbia Avenue between the overnight hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Limited parking will be available at the Webb Field parking lot on North Central Avenue.

Vehicles parked in violation of the emergency ordinance are subject to a fine of up to $500 and vehicles may be removed from the roadway.

From the Town of Greenburgh:

Before a Storm Strikes:

Preparation makes life easier during power interruptions. If a severe storm has been forecast, consider these suggestions:

• Have flashlights, a battery-operated radio or television and fresh batteries handy.

• If you must use candles, please be careful and keep them far away from children and flammable materials.

• Store adequate supplies of non-perishable food that need not be refrigerated.

Make sure you have a manual can opener.

• Have bottled water for drinking and cooking.

• If an electric pump supplies your water, fill bathtubs and other containers to ensure there is adequate water for washing and toilets.

• Set freezer and refrigerator controls to their coldest setting to extend the length of time the food will keep.

• Unplug sensitive electronic equipment – televisions, microwave ovens and computers – that could be damaged by lightning or sudden power surges.

• Have a working telephone. Note: Cordless and digital phones will probably not work during a power interruption. Ensure your cell phone is fully charged.

• Know how to manually operate your garage door if you have an electric garage door opener.

• If someone in your home depends on life-sustaining equipment powered by electricity, call ConEd and let them know. It’s your responsibility to provide an emergency power source during any unplanned power interruption.

You should also have a back-up evacuation plan.

If your power is interrupted:

• Check with your neighbors to see if their power is out. If it isn’t, double check your own circuit breakers or fuse box to ensure you haven’t simply blown a fuse or tripped a breaker.

• If power is out to your neighborhood, call ConEd.

• Listen to the radio for weather and news updates. (If you don’t have a battery-powered radio, briefly use your car radio.)

• Turn off all major appliances, such as air conditioners, electric water heaters, water pumps, refrigerators and freezers.Otherwise circuits may overload when repair crews restore your service. Some appliances have “off” settings or need to be unplugged. You can turn others off by removing the proper fuse or turning off the correct circuit breaker. Leave a light turned on so that you will know when power is restored.

• Avoid “peeking” into your refrigerator or freezer. If the door is kept shut, food will stay cold or frozen longer.

• Stay far away and tell others to stay away from downed power lines. Even lines that look harmless may be extremely dangerous. Call ConEd and 911 immediately to report any downed lines.

• NEVER enter a flooded basement. Call ConEd immediately about what must be done to safely restore service to your home, don’t ever attempt to do it yourself.

• ConEd is responsible for repairs from the utility pole to the connectionat your home. You are responsible for any repairs from the connection to the meter. If you suspect damage between the connection and the meter, call a licensed electrician so that repairs can be made before our crews attempt to restore your service.

If your power is interrupted in the winter:

• NEVER use a natural gas oven for heating and never use charcoal indoors for cooking or heating. In either case, carbon monoxide poisoning could occur.

• During an extended power interruption, stay at another location (with a relative, friend, or neighbor who has electricity). You may want to consider going to a hotel or an emergency shelter.

• To avoid hypothermia, wear layers of clothes and a hat. Use blankets. Hypothermia, caused by exposure to cold, lowers your body temperature and can seriously threaten your health. Infants and the elderly are especially at risk. Warning signs of hypothermia include slurred speech, drowsiness and disorientation.

• If you use an alternate-heating source, such as a fireplace, wood stove or kerosene heater, be sure to provide adequate ventilation. Otherwise, carbon monoxide poisoning could occur.

• NEVER burn trash or plastic. Burn only seasoned wood in a fireplace.

• Use a fireplace screen. Keep the damper open.

• Shut doors to unused rooms and close the drapes to retain heat.

• Let water trickle from faucets to avoid frozen or burst pipes.

• Clear snow and ice away from dryer and other appliance vents.

• Check on your neighbors, especially if they are elderly and live alone.

If you use a generator:

• Operate your generator outdoors in a clean, dry, well-ventilated area, and never indoors or in a garage.

• Make sure all electrical connections comply with National Electric Code.

• Never connect a generator to an existing wiring system without an automatic transfer switch.

• Never overload your generator with too many appliances.

• Never let children play near a generator.

Once your service has been restored, you should:

• Turn appliances on one at a time to avoid overloading your circuits.

• Reset your refrigerator and freezer controls to normal.

• Replenish your home’s emergency supplies. If your neighbors get their power back, but you don’t, call us to report it.

As power is restored, it may take some time for our system to return to normal. Trees weakened by the storm may fall resulting in additional power interruptions.

Patch file photo.