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Sunday: Middletown Digs Out of the Snow

Updated on shelter and power outages

 

How much snow did we get? Did you measure?  Click here to let us know!

  • 6:00 p.m. The shelter at Gaudet is now closed. Still no word about schools. Work crews remain active tonight according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.  Watch out for vehicles and equipment clearing snow and sanding.

  • 11:30 a.m. On Middletown Patch Facebook, a reader asked, How many plows does Middletown have on the roads? We checked with the town, and as of Sunday morning there are 16 plows and five loaders currently working to clear the roads. 

    "We are working on secondary roads and pushing the snow back on the main roads," said Town Administrator Shawn Brown.   The Department of Public Works has their work cut out for them.  Besides the roads, the department is also supporting operations related to public safety, shelter operations, and National Grids activities.

    "We are in good shape," said Brown. "The residents have been very patient and understanding of the situation and we are thankful for that."

    National Grid reports that nearly 550 crews are on the ground across Rhode Island. At 8 a.m. this morning, 63 percent of customers that lost power had been restored, said the company. 

  • 9:45 a.m. Middletown businesses are opening up their doors again. So far the 7 Eleven, YMCA, Bridge to Fitness, Newport Athletic Club, Empire Coffee, Rusty's  Bar, Atlantic Beach Grille, have all said they are open for customers! Is your business open? Tell us in the comments!

  • 9:00 a.m. Several Middletown streets still have not been plowed. Remember there is a parking ban in effect until Monday at noon.  How is your street? Tell us in the comments. 

  • 6:15 a.m. 23 percent of Newport County remains without power. Although National Grid only reports 139 Middletown customers (out of 7,954) are still in the dark. Do you have power? Tell us in the comments.

    It looks like it will get sloppy on Monday.  Showers are expected with a high near 46, according to the National Weather Service. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

    Related
  • If you wonder why the blizzard was called Nemo, click here. 
  • Upload your winter storm pictures them here.  


    Saturday

  • 8:25 p.m.: Several areas have reported power has been restored in Middletown such as Green End Ave., Wyndham Hill, Valley Road and parts of Aquidneck Ave.

  • 4:00 p.m.: travel ban lifted in Rhode Island.
  • The Red Cross opened a regional shelter at the Gaudet Middle School at 1113 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown. Call the Middletown Police Station at 401-846-1104 or Carmela Geer at 401-418-0071 for transportation.   To learn more about what to bring and how to get to the shelter, click here.
  • National Grid says some customers could be without power for "several days. The blizzard struck transmission lines, including those on Aquidneck Island, which could take days to repair.

  • 11:30 a.m. Saturday night the temperature falling to near 16 by 11 p.m., then rising to around 28 during the remainder of the night. 
  • Most of Aquidneck Island remained without power on Saturday. At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, National Grid reported 44,560 out of 45,893 customers are without power in Newport County. In Middletown, 100 percent of the the 7,954 in Middletown are reported to be without power.

  • In Middletown, plows and National Grid were delayed by stuck vehicles on Saturday morning.  Officials urged residents to stay off the roads if possible. 

    • TF Green Airport reported they measured 16.6 inches of snow.  Some parts of Rhode Island reportedly got more than two feet of snow. 

    • RIPTA service is suspended until further notice

    Following is a list of shelters that are currently open across Rhode Island:

    • Jamestown: Melrose Elementary School
    • Middletown: Gaudet Middle School
    • Tiverton: Tiverton Middle School
    • Wakefield: South Kingstown High School
    • Warwick: Warwick Vets High School
    • Westerly: Westerly Senior Center
    Related Topics: Blizzard 2013

    Shirley Roche Mello

    10:45 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    If there is a travel ban, how are you supposed to get tot the shelter?

    Reply
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    Olga Enger

    10:54 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    Shirley, call Carmela Geer at 401-418-0071 or if you live in Middletown call the Middletown Police Station at 401-846-1104. If you live in Newport or Portsmouth, you can call their police/fire departments for transportation.

    Reply

    Julie Mott

    11:53 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    Yowza!! Hopefully people will heed the warnings and stay off the roads to give NG the ability to restore power to our town!

    Reply

    Jan Rogers

    2:58 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    We regained power at Oakland Farm around 2 p.m. Unbelievably grateful to the people who worked this miracle. We were so so cold!

    Reply

    Denis

    10:00 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    Power returned to Briarwood Ave. about 8:30PM Saturday. Thanks Nat Grid workers! Now if the town would get the plows to do the street, we could get out.

    Reply

    Linda

    10:24 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    Does anybody know just how much snow fell on Middletown?

    Reply

    Mary E. Viera-Moniz

    11:17 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013

    Power on, heat roaring -- Life is good. Thanks National Grid, only wish you could get home to a warm house and your families, but surely have miles to go before that happens.....Thanks!!!!

    Reply

    Mary Mace

    6:05 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    Still without power on my side of the street on Shangria-La Lane!

    Reply

    Just Saying

    7:48 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    Thank u national grid for working long, hard, cold hours.

    Reply

    Norman M. Fucile

    8:00 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    Sunday morning-what are the odds of Middletown Public Works plowing Evergreen Avenue before the Spring?

    Reply
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    Chris Christensen

    3:21 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    Just think about your grandparents Norm. They probably had to wait for the rains and warmer weather to melt the snow back then. Now a days, no power, no TV, we might have to try to find something in the house to read. Oh whoa is me! Americans have become a bunch of softies. I could tell stories about Nov 62-Apr 63 and the worst winter in W. Germany in100 years when the Rhine River was frozen over,snowed some amount every day, very cold northern windss every night, wolf packs roaming in the towns looking for something or someone to eat. But no coyotes! Just wolves or wild boars. At that time of my Arny service wife and I lived in an apartment on the German Economy. Oh the stories we could tell about real winter weather.

    maggie bulmer

    10:43 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    Does anyone actually KNOW the cause of the pervasive soft blue light accompanied by an electrical sounding buzz that occurred on Sat. night around 10:15. Whatever it was did not affect the power. Power on Wood Road went out around 10:30pm. I'm not interested in guesses.

    Reply

    Evantyler

    10:47 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

    No power on the inside bend of shangri la lane!!! I'm freezing still, and walking dead season three continues tonight. Lets get this power back on or I'm gonna raise hell

    Reply

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