The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Eye on the storm
Public works fleets ready to tackle nor’easter
MIDDLETOWN — The area could see up to 10 inches from a slowmoving nor’easter expected to hit the region early Wednesday and last through the evening.
Municipalities throughout Connecticut are bracing for a snowstorm that could last as long as 30 hours and shift to a rain/snow mix sometime Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
“That’s when snow will be weighed down,” said Middletown Public Works Director William Russo, who met with emergency operations staff Tuesday morning for a briefing on what city departments are planning. “It’s going to be a heavier, wet snow versus some of the earlier (snowfall accumulations) that were a little lighter. Our machinery
really works when we get into the heavy wet stuff.”
Russo’s fleet now includes a lot of new equipment, which should make cleanup easier, he said.
Meteorologists at the NWS have issued a winter storm warning for the Middletown area, which goes in to effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and runs through 4 a.m. Thursday.
Light precipitation is expected to begin Wednesday between 1 and 3 a.m., with a steadier snow falling between 10 a.m. and noon and tapering off between 8 and 11 p.m.
“We’re as prepared as can be. We always try to get more efficient with each storm,” Russo said.
He reminded people to heed the parking ban when it is put into place to make plowing as productive as possible.
“Snow really is funny. It brings out the most interesting part of people,” said Ace Hardware manager Lindsay Fralick. Her South Main Street store is fully stocked with salt, shovels, scrapers, snowplows and other items.
“Winter vexes us more now than it ever has, because it has gotten more unpredictable. Weather in New England is never going to be predictable,” Fralick said. “The best advice I can give to people is better safe than sorry.”
She enjoys the wide array of customers who come in during the winter months. “There are those who have never lived in a place that had winter before, and they come up here completely unprepared for what to expect — so it’s kind of fun to work with them.
“And then we have the bread and water folks that are completely flipping out.”
No longer are seasons necessarily confined to a specific date — it can snow in late April or even October.
“Folks are hedging bets and waiting until the last minute, and then they’re running down here frantic: ‘Oh my God! There’s actually snow on the ground,’ which I find really funny,” Fralick said.
The shop also sells petfriendly bags of magnesium pellets at varying prices. “The safer you want Fido, the more money you’re going to spend.”
Home Depot on Washington Street had a good supply of shovels for sale and two generators remaining on Tuesday, which is the store’s normal stock, according to staff.
The city’s salt stores were full Tuesday and heavy equipment fuel tanks were full, but drivers are more conservative when the snow first begins to fall, Russo said.
“We really don’t put out a lot of material in the beginning, because we know we’re going to be plowing,” Russo said.
Some trucks contain a salt/sand mix, used in case an ambulance, police cruiser or any other EMS vehicle gets stuck in the snow, or can’t make its way up a steep hill, he said.
“At no time is anyone in town in danger of us not getting service to them — even when we get into these bigger events,” Russo said.
In East Hampton, Town Manager Michael Maniscalco said his fleet is ready for what may turn out to be a long haul.
“At this point, final prep of vehicles is being done, including loading salt, putting plows on and making minor repairs,” Maniscalco said. “We are also putting in additional salt orders.”
Maniscalco asked for residents’ cooperation when the storm does hit, urging them to “stay home if at all possible, and not park in the road or leave their garbage out by the road.”
The cans can be knocked or blown over and become a hazard as crews work to keep the road clear, he said.
“I know a lot of people think plowing is just a matter of driving down a road, but there is a science to plowing,” he said. “And our guys are really good at it. They are extremely talented.”
Maniscalco said he both understands and respects the challenge a storm can present. However, “we’re pretty adept at dealing with snowstorms. After
all, we’re New Englanders.”
In Cromwell, all the equipment has been checked, said Public Works Director Lou Spina, who also made sure there was an ample supply of salt. “We’re going through to make sure everything is safe and in operable order.”
Town roads were treated with liquid brine Tuesday afternoon, laying a good base for when the snow first begins to fall, he said.
“Everybody gets excited when they hear 8 to 12 inches. Once we get 2 feet or 3 feet, that’s the time to get excited. This is a goodsized storm, and we do the same amount of plowing no matter if it’s 3 to 4 inches, 5 to 8 inches or 8 to 12 — in the same way,” said Spina, who sent his crews home at 3:30 p.m. and told them to get some sleep so they’ll be refreshed for the long work ahead.
Portland officials were also getting ready for the storm Tuesday afternoon.
”We will be preparing as we do for every storm,” First Selectman Susan Bransfield said. “The trucks and staff are ready and scheduled to respond with all the necessary equipment and sand and salt; and we will likely look at canceling activities as deemed appropriate.”
In Middletown, several departments pitch in to help public works during a significant storm, including sanitation, parks, and water and sewer.
“We utilize everybody in storms like this,” Russo said. “It kind of becomes one (team) when we get into the bigger stuff like this.”
Big snowstorms require plow drivers to be behind the wheel for long stretches of time. CDL license holders must follow federal law, which says those drivers can work up to 21 hours at a stretch, but are then mandated to take a three-hour break.
After that, a plow operator can work 10 more hours but must take another three-hour rest, Russo said.
Travel will be very difficult to impossible, including during the evening commute Wednesday evening, the NWS said, adding motorists should be prepared for significant reductions in visibility at times.
For a list of off-street parking areas in Middletown, visit cityofmiddletown.com/Parking.