By Richard Kaufman
According to a press release from the Office of the First Selectman, the Greenwich Board of Selectmen have enacted a snow emergency ahead of the winter storm which will impact the region early Wednesday morning into Thursday.
The snow emergency prohibits on-street parking on designated snow emergency routes (**complete list of streets at bottom of post), and will go into effect at 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, and continue until further notice. The parking ban will enable Department of Public Works crews and its contractors to effectively clear Town roadways.
Residents are advised to park their vehicles in their driveways or in their yards. Residents also may use municipal parking lots to park their vehicles.
Additionally, First Selectman, Peter Tesei, announced that Greenwich Town Hall will be open for business from 8 a.m., to 12 p.m., on Wednesday, March 21. All Town Hall offices will close at noon, and all meetings and events scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and evening are cancelled.
The National Weather Service, which placed a Winter Storm Warning on the region, is currently forecasting 12 to 15 inches of heavy, wet snow and sleet, with wind gusts up to 45 m.p.h. Therefore, Tesei also announced that there will be a partial activation of the Emergency Operations Center at the Greenwich Public Safety Complex beginning at 9 a.m., on Wednesday, March 21.
Residents are reminded to avoid all downed power lines, and to report them to 911 immediately.
Below are some helpful tips and information:
Emergency Helplines – Utilities:
- Aquarion Water Company 1-800-732-9678
- Eversource 1-800-286-2000
- CT Natural Gas Company (203) 869-6900
Warming Centers
Should residents lose power, the following location is available as a warming and electronic device charging center:
- Greenwich Public Safety Complex, 11 Bruce Place. Open 24/7.
Surviving The Storm
The Greenwich Department of Health advises residents to make an Emergency Supply Kit and to keep it handy. Also residents are encouraged to visit websites including the Town’s website (www.greenwichct.org), The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org), and the federal government (www.ready.gov) for pointers on personal readiness.
During an emergency the Town may opt to use the emergency notification system to send a recorded message to each resident that has a published number. All residents are encouraged to register a contact number (non-published number, cell phone, etc.) by logging on to the Town’s website located under the First Selectman’s Emergency Preparedness page
Watch for signs of Frostbite: loss of feeling and abnormal coloring in extremities (fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose). If symptoms are detected, call 911 immediately.
Watch for signs of Hypothermia: bluishness or puffiness of the skin, dilated pupils, decreased respiratory rate, irregular pulse, uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms occur, get the person to a warm location, remove any wet clothing and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the person is conscious. Call 911 for medical help immediately.
When using portable generators, never use indoors (even if garage doors are open) or in enclosed spaces. Exhausts from these units contain carbon monoxide (CO). Also, do not supply generator power to your home’s main line.
Do not use gas stoves or charcoal grills for heat. They can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
When any tree falls on a power line and causes it to come down or block a Town road or right-of way, the situation should be reported immediately. For non-emergency situations involving downed trees or branches, please call 203-622-8001
Snow Removal
By Town ordinance, Greenwich property owners are required to be responsible for keeping all sidewalks along their property clear of snow and ice.
The Town of Greenwich prohibits plow contractors from pushing snow from driveways or parking lots onto Town streets. This practice is dangerous and impedes the Town’s snow removal efforts. If there is no other alternative to pushing snow into the street, the private plow driver must plow off the windrow left across the street by re-plowing until the road is safe.
**Here is the complete list of snow emergency routes where the parking ban will be enforced:
Snow Emergency Streets
CENTRAL GREENWICH
- Amogerone Crossway
- Arch Street
- Benedict Place
- Bolling Place
- Brookside Drive
- Bruce Park Avenue
- Bruce Place
- Church Street
- Connecticut Avenue
- Davis Avenue
- East Elm Street
- East Putnam Avenue (Maple Ave. to Library)
- Fawcett Place
- Field Point Road
- Greenwich Avenue
- Grigg Street
- Havemeyer Place
- Hillside Road
- Horseneck Lane
- Hunter Place
- Lafayette Place
- Lake Avenue
- Lawrence Street
- LeGrande Avenue
- Lenox Drive
- Lewis Street
- Lexington Avenue
- Locust Street
- Maher Avenue
- Maple Avenue
- Mason Street
- Milbank Avenue
- Perryridge Road
- Railroad Avenue
- Ridge Street
- Sherwood Place
- Shore Road
- Sound View Drive
- Steamboat Road
- West Elm Street
- West Putnam Avenue
- William Street
BYRAM
- Beech Street
- Byram road
- Cedar Street
- Chestnut Street
- Church Street West
- Delavan Avenue
- Division Street West
- Hervey Street
- Kirby Street
- Mead Street
- Mill Street
- North Water Street
- Oak Street
- Pine Street
- Richland Road
- South Water Street
- Spruce Street
- Western Junior Highway
- William Street West
CHICKAHOMINY
- Hamilton Avenue, Old Field Point Road, Saint Roch’s Avenue
PEMBERWICK
- Comly Avenue
- Pemberwick Road
- Moshier Street
GLENVILLE
- Glenville Road/Street from Glenridge Road to Pemberwick Road
- Riversville Road from Glenville Road, north to entrance to Glenville School
COS COB
- Bible Street
- East Putnam Avenue (Field Rd. to Diamond Hill)
- Loughlin Avenue
- Orchard Street
- Relay Place
- River Road
- River Road Extension
- Sinawoy Road
- Strickland Road
- Suburban Avenue
- Valley Road
RIVERSIDE AND MIANUS
- Hendrie Avenue
- North Sound Beach Avenue
- Valley Road
OLD GREENWICH
- Arcadia Road
- Lockwood Avenue
- Sound Beach Avenue
- West End Avenue
OTHER AREAS
- As otherwise identified by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Greenwich as the Town Traffic Authority.
