NWS: Wind Advisory Though 4 p.m. Friday

Several Rhode Island Homes are without power the first day of November as the state remains under a hazardous weather a wind advisory through 4 p.m.

UPDATE: Power out at CCRI’s Flanagan Campus. Classes & activities are suspended until 1 p.m. or until power is restored.

WARWICK, RI — The National Weather Service warns of strong winds, reaching gusts of 30-40 mph throughout the day, with about 35,600 customers were experiencing outages in the state, about 216 of them in Warwick, according to the National Grid Power Outage Map.

About 1,300 were without power in neighboring Cranston and about 800 nearby in East Greenwich.

In Warwick, only Robertson School was closed due to a power outage. Kent County YMCA was also closed.

“Strong wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” NWS advised on their website. The advice warned motorists to take extra care while driving, especially drivers of high-profile trucks and other large vehicles. The service also advised securing outdoor objects.

Emergency Alerts:

RIBA – Make sure you’re signed up for text alerts from the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association. You’ll get emergency notifications (including school closings and delays) direct to your phone or email.

CodeRED – The City of Warwick has instituted a new rapid emergency notification service called CodeRED®.  The new system will distribute emergency messages via telephone to targeted areas or the entire City of Warwick. Register here.

TF Green Airport – As of 8:40 a.m., two 10 a.m. outbound flights to Newark have been cancelled. Click here to follow arrivals and departures at Green.

Emergency Calls:

• In an emergency, dial 911
• Police Department: 401-468-4200
• Fire Department: (401) 468-4000
• Highway Dept./Snow removal – 401-738-2000 ext. 6518
• Do NOT call 911 to report a power outage. Contact National Grid at 1-800-465-1212. Smartphone users can also text STORM to NGRID (64743) for outage alerts. To check the status of outages in your area, visit  National Grid Outage Central for Rhode Island.

Listen to NOAA radio: Check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio frequency here.

 

The American Red Cross has several tips for people experiencing prolonged power outages:

Staying Safe Indoors

• Use flash lights in the dark, not candles.
• Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic lights will be out and roads will be congested.
• If you are using a generator be sure you understand the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to use generators safely.

Food Safety

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

First use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables should have a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) or below to be safe to eat. Then use food from the freezer.

Use your non-perishable foods and staples after using food from the refrigerator and freezer.

• If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items.
• Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.

Electrical Equipment

• Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics.
• Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment.
• Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes back on.