WPRO Newsroom

RIEMA Executive Director, who submitted her letter of resignation and will have her last day Feb. 15, is still on board for this week's impending blizzard and is urging Rhode Islanders to prepare. 

“The combination of several inches of snow and heavy winds increases the possibility of power outages,” said RIEMA Executive Director Theresa C. Murray in a statement. “Keeping warm during winter power outages is critical, especially for the elderly or for people who are not physically active or use life-sustaining equipment. Now is the perfect time to check your emergency kits and replace anything that is broken or expired.”

Here are the guidelines the RIEMA has to offer:

• Add winter blankets, warm clothes, hats, scarves, and mittens to emergency kits. (Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.
• Make sure you have enough home-heating fuel to last at least a week. (After a storm, fuel carriers may not be able to get to you for several days.
• Make sure you can heat at least one room in your home even if the power or furnace is not available.
• Check your carbon monoxide detectors and make sure they are working.
• Make sure you have shovels, sand, and salt for clearing driveways, sidewalks, and walkways.
• Add extra blankets, snow shovel, ice scraper, windshield washer fluid, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction) to your car emergency kit.
• Make sure your car’s tires have enough tread on them.
• Know how to shut off water valves in case of a pipe burst.
• Move outdoor pets and livestock to a sheltered location and make sure they always have an unfrozen source of water.
• Consider making plans to delay or reschedule non-essential travel, especially Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. Personal safety should always be the top priority.

For detailed forecasts and up-to-the-minute closings and information, visit our Operation Snowball page.