Winter Storm: Easton Information Center

EASTON PATCH STORM CENTRAL UPDATES, CLOSINGS & MORE:

Welcome to the Easton Patch storm center. We'll be providing you with the latest updates, cancellations, outages and news about the "Blizzard of 2013".

You can help too! If you notice a road closure, want to report a power outage, or just have something to say, add it to our comments section!

Sunday 10:35 p.m.

Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge told Patch tonight that all but six National Grid customers have had power restored to their homes.

Easton's Warming Shelter closed at 2 p.m. today.

Sunday 7:20 p.m.

From the Town of Easton Facebook Page:

DPW crews removed 37,075,374 square feet of snow from Easton roads during this storm. That is equivalent to 741,507,480 pounds of snow. We have exhausted a good deal of our available deicing chemicals during this storm, but we stand ready for the forecasted light snow and freezing rain tomorrow morning and subsequent refreezing tomorrow night and Tuesday morning. We also anticipate up to a half inch of rain tomorrow afternoon which may lead to localized flooding from blocked catch basins. If you have a catch basin in front of your house, please help minimize flooding by digging out the basin if you are able.

DPW crews continue to plow and scrape the main roads. Sidewalks near schools as well as school and municipal parking lots are well under control and should be completed soon.

Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Easton Public Schools are closed Monday.

Southeastern Regional is also closed for Monday.

Sunday 1:20 p.m.

From the Town of Easton Facebook Page:

The Public Works Department resumed operations this morning at 7:00AM (after 32 straight hours Friday and Saturday) to clear roads, sidewalks, and plow parking lots for the school and municipal buildings. Please be aware that all roads have been plowed, including the main roads which have been plowed approximately 30 to 50 times since the beginning of the storm.

Due to snowpack on our main roads we treated those roads this morning with the intention of going back around 12:00 PM to remove the snow that has loosened up due to chemical deicers and sunlight. Unfortunately there has been heavy traffic on those main roads this morning which has caused significant rutting. Our crews are now fully deployed to scrape those roads again as planned. This is a continuing process and by letting the snowpack loosen up before scraping we anticipate seeing a major improvement in the condition of those roads this afternoon.

Please be aware that this was a major storm, and while we strive to have all roads, sidewalks, and parking lots cleaned up as soon as possible, we do anticipate continued storm cleanup extending into the middle of next week. We will continue to fully utilize all DPW resources and available private resources until the job is complete.

Sunday 8 a.m.

A reminder to Easton residents that a warming shelter is open at Olmsted-Richardson.

Saturday 9:30 p.m.

If you're planning on clearing off your car or going sledding Sunday, here is Easton's forecast from the National Weather Service:

•  Sunny, with a high near 34. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday 5:30 p.m.

Easton is reporting over 400 National Grid customers without power, and they will likely still be powerless overnight.

There is a warming shelter at Olmsted-Richardson school for those who need it.

With Governor Deval Patrick lifting the driving ban, the town is reporting that most roads are passable.

Remember, as you dig yourselves out, don't hesitate to upload yours snow photos to our image gallery.

Saturday 3:45 p.m.

From the Town of Easton Facebook Page:

POWER

DPW, Fire, and Police buildings all have their power, Station 2 restored approx. 1230 p.m.

Route 138 also had power restored which returned power to the 2 Town Wells at Clock Farm, and Roosevelt Circle.

Still numerous streets without power we are at 462 customers without power as of 2:30 p.m. The 1pm conference call confirmed that National Grid will not begin restoration on secondary line,
 which are most of our outages until tomorrow. The priority is feeder line, transmission lines and sub-stations.

We have added the Southeast Rehab , 184 Lincoln Street as a priority on the outage list. They have 180 beds and have been on generator power since 6pm Friday. They notified NG yesterday but did not let us know until 2:30 todaythat they were out.

WEATHER

Snowfall fall has subsided, the winds continue to blow and temperatures will go be in the teens and single digits overnight.

WARMING CENTER

5 Residents are at the Warming shelter at the Olmsted Richardson, The Warming shelter worked out fine, Mark Taylor and Pam Berglund are coordinating the operation and food service and custodial staff are assisting. We may see an increase in the shelter due to the extreme cold expected tonight.

ROADWAYS

Roadways are all passable they continue to require pushing back the of the wind-blown snow. Although passable they are all still snow covered and in most cases slippery.

DPW crews will be going off duty approx.. 5 p.m. and will be returning early morning to begin tackling the schools and re-cleaning roadways as needed.

Saturday 1:40 p.m.

The Town of Easton is reporting on facebook that power has been restored along route 138.

Additionally, the Governor announced moments ago that the state-wide travel ban will be lifted at 4 p.m.

Saturday 1:30 p.m.

Max and Pat's Pizzeria is open today.  The pizza shop at Five Corners opened to help out all the emergency and road crews. It stayed open last night too with free coffee.

Saturday 12:10 p.m.

Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge said Saturday No specific timeline has been set by National Grid in terms of street-by-street estimates.

"Residents need to be patient and understand they could be several days without power," he said.

Saturday 11:40 a.m.

The Town of Easton is opening a warming shelter at Olmsted-Richardson School for those without power. Residents should call 508-230-3323 for information or transportation.

Saturday 10:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service is reporting that the snow will stop falling at approximately 1 p.m.

DPW Director David Field said that plowing will continue until late tonight.

Town Officials are asking residents to stay off the roads while plows continue to work.

Saturday 9:10 a.m.

From the Town of Easton facebook page:

Currently 19 % of the community is without power. Easton's National Grid liason will be arriving in the community shortly, and repairs have begun.

The DPW has been plowing continuously throughout the night, and will continue throughout the day. PLEASE stay off the roads to allow plowing to continue. Focus will be on main roads first, then subdivisions, followed by road widening and then sidewalk plowing in areas of schools and clearing of school lots. There have been reports regarding 15 downed trees and 20 downed wires in the community since the beginning of the storm.

The Water Department has been out overnight to repair a water main break on Fox Ridge Road.

The Police Department reports several cars have become stuck in snow drifts, requiring assistance.

Please be advised that the travel ban is still in effect.

Saturday 7:40 a.m.

The Town of Easton is currently reporting 2,000 Easton residents without power. According to National Grid, most of the outages are on the east side of town along Route 138.

As many are without power, plow drivers continue to man the roads. The following information is from the Town of Easton facebook page:

Crews continue to try to keep roads open, but have been fighting blowing snow which keeps covering roads which have just been plowed. We will still be actively plowing throughout the day and we ask that people stay off the roads.

Also, we ask that residents use caution when clearing the ends of their driveways, as banks are high and our drivers cannot see people obscured by the banks. Lastly, please do not push or deposit snow into the roadway, as this will hinder our efforts to clear the roads.

Please understand that we will continue to plow and pushback the roads throughout the day. If you clear your driveway before we have completed the pushback, your driveway will likely be blocked in by the plowed snow. This is unavoidable. To lessen the chance of this happening, do not clear the end of your driveway until this evening.

Crews will begin clearing sidewalks on Sunday which may also result in additional snow across driveways. Again, this is unavoidable and is needed to open sidewalks for pedestrian travel.

How are things around you? Post your snow photos by clicking here.

Friday 11 p.m.

Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge released the following situation report for Easton. These stats were as of 10 p.m.:

Statewide Travel ban remains in effect. Town of Easton is under a Declaration of Emergency.

PLOWING

DPW is keeping up with the road plowing the best it can, some roadways are difficult to pass on due to the rate at which snow is falling and recovering the roadways.

DPW is reporting that residents should be aware that plowing will continue to we'll into Saturday evening and are asked to please stay off the roads to allow plow trucks to clear them.

POWER OUTAGES

All of Rt. 138 is out of power, Summer St. Area, Belmont St and the entire Industrial Park, Stone hill College, Purchase St, Sweet Meadow, Randall St. Area, Central and Depot St., Scotch Dam Rd, Lyman Wheelock Rd., Ridgewood Rd., Short St., Sunset St., Black Brook Rd., Kilsyth Rd.

Numerous downed wires and blown transformers throughout town, numerous trees down throughout town. 

Fire Station 2 lost generator, currently out of power. FM Generator Technician enroute to repair.

WATER MAIN BRAKE

A Water main brake on Fox Ridge is being repaired by the Water Department.

Response Operations:

• DPW Staffing in Place for plowing including contractors, plowing operation began approx.11am and are ongoing.
• Town Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at Fire Station #3 will be staffed overnight.  
• Fire and Police have increased staffing in place for the overnight hours.
• Responses during storm:
  • DPW  -   10 Tree calls
  • Police – 14 Motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s)/ cars off the road. Numerous wires and trees down and alarm activations.
  • Fire  5 MVA’s-  5 Medical Emergency, and 14 tree and wires calls
• Wires down/transformer issues -  14
• Roads closed - 0
• Reported Power Outages – numerous

Staffing for Response:

• DPW Personnel   - 9 during regular hours, 28 on OT , 56 Contractors
• Police Personnel  - 7 scheduled plus 1
• Fire Personnel     - 7 scheduled plus 6  (2 additional at each station)    

Damage from Storm:

No Damage reports as of this reporting 

Miscellaneous:

• National Grid Liaison is to report to EOC Saturday morning 8 am.
• EOC support Staffing- EMD, Fire Captain, Admin Assist, Conner Read assisting remotely
• Injuries or deaths from Storm-  None

Friday 10:40 p.m.

Easton officials are asking residents to call the following numbers for down wires:

To report power outages please call 1-800-322-3223, for wire down or electric emergencies call 1-800-465-1212 or 911

Friday 9:30 p.m.

From the Town of Easton Facebook Page:

Power Outages-

All of Rt 138 is out of power, Summer St. Area, Belmont St and the entire Industrial Park, Stone hill College, Purchase St, Sweet Meadow, Randall St. Area, Central and Depot St., Scotch Dam Rd, Lyman Wheelock Rd., Ridgewood Rd., Short St., Sunset St.

Numerous downed wires and blown transformers throughout town, numerous trees down throughout town.

Plowing Conditions-

Snow is heavy and plow crews are straight out trying to stay ahead to keep the roadways passable.

DPW is reporting that residents should be aware that plowing will continue to well into Saturday evening and residents are asked to please stay off the roads to allow plows to clear them.

Friday 9:20 p.m.

Approximately 11 inches of snow has fallen in the Shovel Town.

So far, National Grid is reporting approximately 142 customers affected from the power outage on Randall Street. An additional 1,600 customers have been affected near the Brockton town line.  Stonehill College is reporting a power outage on its campus.

Easton Town Administrator David Colton said today that if necessary, the town would have a shelter available at the Olmsted-Richardson School. No call has been made as to whether or not to enact a shelter.

According to the Town of Easton's latest informational report, a National Grid Liason is to report to Easton at 8 a.m. tomorrowand a representative is on standby at Easton Fire Station 3.

According to the report:

• National Grid Liaison is to report to EOC Saturday morning 8 am. National Grid supervisor on standby at EFD Station #3
• Fire Chief/EMD and Police Chief participated on National Grid call
• Fire Chief/EMD participated on MEMA weather service conference calls
• EOC support Staffing- EMD, Fire Captain, Admin Assist, Conner Read assisting remotely
• Dispatch- 3 dispatchers
• Injuries or deaths from Storm- None

Friday, 8 p.m.

From Town of Easton, MA: Primary line down on Randall St with power outages resulting. 52 National Grid customers impacted on Randall Andrews Farm Road, Alderwood Drive, Knollwood and Fall Lane.

Friday 6 p.m.

Information from Maguire's Bar and Grill owner Neil Levine:

If you are a plow driver, cop, public safety official and you are working through the blizzard and you get hungry we are open. The grill and fryer are on. We will be plowing the parking lot all night. If there are lights on, we are here. Stay safe. Peace.

Friday 5:30 p.m.

As we move into the nighttime, forecasters are predicting the bulk of the blizzard to be overnight.

"White-outs, blizzard conditions, drifting snow and a vicious wind," WHDH's Pete Bouchard wrote in his weather blog. "Winds will gust near hurricane force (74mph or better) at times along the coast as the storm rounds Nantucket and heads east."

Easton DPW workers will be working around the clock to clear the roads with over 80 vehicles.

So far, there are no outages in Easton according to National Grid. DPW Director Dave Field said this afternoon that, given the forecast, outages are certainly possible.

Friday 3:50 p.m.

From the Town of Easton Facebook Page:

Please remember to bring your waste barrels in as soon as they have been emptied so they will not be in the road when wind picks up.

Friday 2:30 p.m.

The Town of Easton will have 24 town plows and an additional 58 contractors on the roads throughout the weekend.

For more on the DPW's operation, click here.

Friday 1:50 p.m.

Governor Deval Patrick has issued a travel ban in Massachusetts beginning at 4 p.m.

From MassEMA:

A ban on motor vehicle travel begins at 4:00 PM today (Friday 2/8) until further notice. See mass.gov/mema for exceptions 

Friday 12:00 p.m.

Easton is officially under a state of emergency.

Selectmen made the declaration a half-hour ago. Click here for the full declaration.

Friday 11 a.m.

From the Easton Historical Society:

The Easton Historical Society's open house scheduled for Sunday, February 10th, has been cancelled due to the storm.

Gas stations around the area are running short on gas with the incoming storm. If you need to gas up, you should do it soon before the weather is too bad.

Friday 10:45 a.m.

From the Easton Lions Club:

Due to the upcoming storm the Easton Lions Auction that was scheduled for this Sunday February 10th has been postponed to Sunday March 10th.

Stay safe and we'll see you then!

Friday 10:30 a.m.

The snow is starting to come down in Easton. If you get a chance, take a photo near you and post it in our image gallery here.

The Easton Board of Selectmen is meeting at 11:30 a.m. to discuss a snow emergency. We'll be sure to update you with news from Town Offices as it comes in.

Friday 7:45 a.m.

Gear up, Easton.

The "Blizzard of 2013" is set to hit today, but you may not notice it right away.

"Pacing is intermittent and light [this morning]," WHDH's Pete Bouchard wrote in his weather blog. "2-4 by afternoon. There will likely be mixing - or even plain rain - along the South Shore much of SE Mass. including the Cape and Islands. This is where a lot of us will be standing around saying 'what storm.'"

Of course, things are likely to change by tonight. If you have storm photos, we encourage you to post them on Easton Patch by clicking here.

Most importantly, we encourage you to stay safe!

Thursday, 11:25 p.m.

From the town of Easton:

STORM INFORMATION:
The Easton Emergency Management Team is asking for the cooperation of all residents as we prepare for the approaching blizzard. Residents are encouraged to be off the roadways before the heaviest snowfall begins around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, for their safety and to allow the DPW crews to properly and safely plow the roadways. Residents are also asked to report any downed power lines to 911 and to please stay away from any downed lines, and to assume they are energized.

Fire Chief Kevin Partridge reminds resident who use generators to use them safely and make sure they have a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector. If you have a sidewall vent for your heating unit, please make sure you check the outside of your house to assure it not covered by snow and can properly ventilate, as a blocked heating unit vent can allow a buildup of carbon monoxide in your house.

If possible, please consider shoveling out any nearby fire hydrants when you are shoveling your driveway. Your assistance in keeping the hydrants clear will allow firefighters to access water in the event of a fire. 

Thursday 7:45 p.m.

Southeastern Regional is now closed for the entire day tomorrow, according to School Committee member Mark Linde.

Earlier today, it was announced that the school would close three hours early. Following suit with surrounding districts, including the Easton Public School District, it will be closed for the whole day.

The Hockomock League Indoor Track Championships scheduled for Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston has been postponed.

Thursday 6:30 p.m.

From the Ames Free Library twitter account:

STORM UPDATE: The Ames Free Library will be closed Friday, Feb. 8 and Saturday Feb. 9, 2013 due to a blizzard in the area.

According to Library Director Uma Hiremath, it will reopen Monday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m.

Thursday: 5:45 p.m.

Easton Public Schools are closed Friday.

Thursday 5:15 p.m.

Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge warned that residents should be prepared for outages. He also reminded residence to clear cars from the road so emergency vehicles can pass. Click here to see what Partridge had to say.

Partridge also released the following information regarding outages:

The severe winds experienced during a Blizzard have the potential to cause power outages in Easton. These strong winds and snow have the capability to topple utility poles and snap tree limbs causing them to fall on power lines and disrupt electrical service.
Tips for dealing with a possible power outage:
Before an Outage
Check flashlights and portable radios to ensure that they are working; make sure to keep extra batteries. A radio is an important source of weather and emergency information during a storm. (See Disaster Supply Kit)

If your water supply could be affected (a well-water pump system), fill your bathtub and spare containers with water. Water in the bathtub should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water.

Pouring a pail of water from the tub directly into the bowl can flush a toilet.
Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them back to normal once power is restored). During an outage, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door. Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-packed).
If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended outage. Remember to fill your prescriptions if they are low prior to the storm, the Pharmacy may also be out of power and closed.
Review the process for manually operating an electric garage door.
Turn your heat up a little higher than normal to warm your house so if you loose power your house may stay warmer longer.
During an Outage
NEVER touch a downed wire or anything the power lines are touching!
In order to protect against possible voltage irregularities that can occur when power is restored, you should unplug all sensitive electronic equipment, including TVs, stereo, VCR, microwave oven, computer, cordless telephone, answering machine and garage door opener.
After an Outage
Be extra cautious if you go outside to inspect for damage after a storm. Downed or hanging electrical wires can be hidden by trees or debris, and could be live. Never attempt to touch or move downed lines. Keep children and pets away from them.
Do not touch anything power lines are touching, such as tree branches or fences. Always assume a downed line is a live line. Call your utility company to report any outage-related problem.
If the power lines are arcing or on fire call the Fire Department by dialing 911.
If you have a medical problem necessitating the need for emergency power to operate said equipment, or need non-emergency assistance call the fire Department business line at 508-230-3311.

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The Easton Emergency Management Team reminds residents that if you use a generator for power to please make sure to follow the following safety tips:

 Carbon Monoxide Hazard

• Use generator outside only
• Make sure generator exhaust goes away from your home, generator exhaust contains carbon monoxide. This is a poison you cannot see or smell and can kill you
• Always have a working smoke detector and Carbon Monoxide Deterctor in your house

 Electrical Hazards

• Generators pose a risk of shock and electrocution, especially if they are operated in wet conditions
• If you must use a generator protect the generator from getting wet to help avoid shock/electrocution hazard
• Connect appliances using heavy duty extension cords that are designed for outdoor use
• Make sure the wattage rating of the cord exceeds the total wattage of all appliances connected to it

 Fire Hazard

• Never store fuel for your generator in the home
• Gasoline, propane and kerosene, and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers
• Before refueling turn off the generator and let it cool down. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Thursday 4:45 p.m.

The Easton Board of Selectmen will meet tomorrow to discuss the declaration of a snow emergency. The emergency meeting is being held at 11:30 a.m. at the Town of Easton Offices.

Additional information is coming in regarding OA sports. From OA AD Bill Matthews:

New information on Gymnastics Hockomock Championship Meet:  it will be held on Monday, Feb 11 at Metro South Gymnastics Academy in Canton.

Warm ups will start at 5:30PM and the meet will start at 7:30PM.

New information on Boys and Girls Swim Sectionals at MIT:  Both events have been cancelled this weekend and due to facility and time constraints, they will not be rescheduled.

Thursday, 3:10 p.m.:

The sports cancellations and postponements are coming in. The following is from Oliver Ames Athletic Director Bill Matthews:

Friday Events:

• Girls BB at home vs. Milford was rescheduled from Friday to tonight.  Fr 3:30, JV 5:00, Varsity 6:30
• Boys BB at Milford has been rescheduled to Monday.  Fr 3:30, JV 5:00, Varsity 6:30
• 7th Grade BB at Taunton is cancelled and will not be rescheduled.  No available dates for opposing team.
• 8th Grade Girls BB at Foxboro is cancelled and will not be rescheduled.  No dates.
• 8th Grade Boys BB at Trinity Catholic is cancelled and will not be rescheduled.  No dates.

Saturday Events:

• Indoor Track Hock Championship Meet is postponed and may be cancelled pending facility availability
• Wrestling Sectional Tournament at Whitman/Hanson postponed until next weekend
• Boys Ice Hockey at Taunton posponed until a makeup date can be set
• Gymnastics Hockomock Championship Meet at Arnold Gymnastics in Mansfield has been rescheduled to Sunday night.  Warmups at 5PM, meet at 7PM
• Girls Swim Sectionals at MIT - no information from MIAA at this time.  I will update everyone when I receive word.

Sunday Events

• Boys Freshman and JV BB at home vs Foxboro rescheduled to Wed, Feb 20th. Fr at 3:30, JV at 5:00
• Girls BB at Foxboro posponed to next week.  I will update everyone when the date is set.
• Boys Swim Sectionals at MIT - no information from MIAA at this time.  I will update everyone when I receive word.
• JV Boys Ice Hockey vs. Wellesley at Foxboro Sport Center - no information at this time.  I will update everyone when I receive word.

Thursday, 3 p.m.:

Southeastern Regional School District will close three hours early tomorrow, according to our friends at WHDH 7.

There is still no word on Easton Public Schools. Be sure to stick with us and follow us on twitter for updates.

Thursday, 2 p.m.:

As the storm approaches public officials are gearing up for what is expected to be close to two feet of snow with blizzard-like conditions. The Easton DPW is asking residents to keep their cars off the road:

The DPW is requesting that residents park their vehicles off the road as soon as the storm begins to enable the plows to clear the streets properly and push the snow back as far as possible.  They would also like any obstructions such as basketball hoops removed from the public way.

Waste Management will be starting 1 hour early on Friday in hopes of completing the routes before the storm begins.  Please have your barrels out by 6 a.m. on Friday or put them out on Thursday night to assist Waste Management in this process.

The Department of Public Works phone number is (508) 230-0800.

In addition to the DPW phone number, be sure to keep the following numbers handy:

• In an emergency, dial 911
• Police Department: 508-230-3322
• Fire Department: 508-230-3311
• DPW: 508-230-0800
• National Grid power outages: 800-465-1212
• National Grid gas emergencies: 800-233-5325
• Comcast: 1-800-COMCAST (1-800-266-2278)
• Verizon: 1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966)

Residents can also stay currant with updates through the Town of Easton's Facebook page.