All Warwick Schools Opening Thursday; 4,000 Still Enduring Power Outage

WARWICK, RI — Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian reported all Warwick Public Schools will open for classes Thursday morning as about 4,300 people in the city remained without electric service.

About 22,000 people statewide remained without electricity as of 10 p.m. Wednesday.

“In the remaining areas that require special equipment, or where there are single, scattered outages, we anticipate power to be restored by Thursday evening, ” National Grid reported in a news release.

Avedisian’s office announced the following storm-recovery-related updates:

• The Thayer and Warburton ice rinks are closed until further notice.
•  McDermott pool is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, November 7.
• The Warwick Public Library is open unit 9 p.m. for those residents without power who would like to charge their cell phones or other devices.
• The Pilgrim Senior Center, 27 Pilgrim Parkway, opened to serve as a shelter Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Scott Avedisian’s office advised anyone who wanted to take advantage of the area to bring their own food, and phone chargers to charge their devices.

National Grid offered the following advisory information for people in Warwick still affected by the power outages and downed trees:

• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.
• If you use a generator to supply power during an outage, be sure to operate it outdoors. Before operating generators, disconnect from National Grid’s system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could jeopardize the safety of line crews and the public.
• Gas safety — If you suspect a natural gas leak:
  • Get Out – All occupants should leave the house immediately.  Do not use the telephone or light switches for any reason.
  • Call Us – After leaving the house and reaching a safe environment, call the National Grid 24-hour gas emergency number for Rhode Island: 1-800-460-1595
  • Stay Out – Do not return to your home until National Grid tells you it is safe.

  Carbon Monoxide

  • The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those of the flu.  Depending upon the amount of carbon monoxide in the air and length of exposure, symptoms may include headaches, weakness, confusion, chest tightness, skin redness, dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, fluttering of the heart or loss of muscle control.
  • If you suspect carbon monoxide is present in your home, go outside immediately and breathe deeply; then call 911. If symptoms are severe, get medical attention right away.

  Stay Connected:

  • Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212.
  • Use your mobile device to track outage information, view outage maps and storm-related safety tips through National Grid’s mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.
  • Like National Grid on Facebook and follow them on Twitter; we post all the latest storm and restoration updates.
  • Track outages and ETRs at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central.