Winter Storm Advisory

February 22, 2013

Dear Residents:

There is a snowstorm forecast for this weekend with the potential to dump up to a foot of heavy, wet snow which may result in downed trees and limbs and scattered power outages, particularly north of the Turnpike beginning Saturday night and continuing into Sunday afternoon. The Town’s Emergency Operations Team (Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Works Director and Combined Facilities Director) will be following advisories from MEMA (the Massachusetts Emergency Management Administration) on the storm, and we will use that information to plan town responses accordingly. We are receiving the same basic information as the news services provide. MEMA also keeps the media advised on other storm related information. The Town’s DPW will be conducting snow plowing operations once the storm starts, using Town employees and contractors. I urge Sudbury residents to follow TV, radio and web news sources to stay current with weather forecasts and plan their activities accordingly.

1. Is there a parking ban for Sudbury?  Yes.Sudbury Police and the DPW request that all residents comply with the winter parking ban which states, no vehicles shall park on any road once snow removal operations have begun.
2. How will the Town communicate with residents if storm conditions are severe? The Town of Sudbury uses a mass communication system known as Blackboard Connect so that we can quickly send a message out to all resident’s land based lines as well as all cell phones that are in the Town’s data base. Now would be a good time to add phones or email addresses that might not already receive messages from this important notification system. Click here to access the registration page for registering your devices (http://sudbury.ma.us/r911).
3. Is it really important that each household notify NStar of power loss? Yes, NStar continues to request that residents call this number to report any power outages: 800-592-2000. Even though it may seem frustrating to residents, NStar assures us they depend on the messages left at that number to help determine where power loss has occurred. Please do not call the Public Safety Dispatch Center to ask when your power will be restored. Although the Fire Chief is in constant contact with NStar during these storms, he is provided with general information that rarely gives a specific time for restoration to any given street. NSTAR often puts storm related information on their website and here is a link to that website http://www.nstar.com/residential/
4. Will the walkways near my child’s school be plowed by the time schools open? The DPW has only two sidewalk plows and will use this equipment to remove snow on the walkways nearest the schools as quickly as they can after insuring the roads are open and safe for travel. Thus, it depends on when the snow starts and stops falling and the amount of snow received.
5. Will a shelter open if residents lose power? Fire Chief Bill Miles and the CERT (Citizen’s Emergency Response Team) will make that decision if conditions warrant, and he will post that information on the Town web site. If a resident needs shelter, please first call the Fire Department business line at 978-443-2239 to be sure the shelter is open and it is safe to travel to the shelter.
6. Will there be a place to recharge phones for anyone who loses power after the storm? Conditions permitting, the Library will open on Sunday and be available (assuming the Library has power).
7. Are there steps residents should be taking at this time to prepare for winter storms? MEMA puts Winter Weather Tips on its web page to address this question. http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/
    

Maureen G. Valente, Town Manager