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Warwick Takes Stock, Cleans Up After Powerful Storm

[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A tree downed at the corner of Opper Avenue and West Shore Road in Conimicut Village caused passersby to slow down, many stopping to take photos on Monday morning. There had been a peak wind gust recorded at Conimicut Light during the height of the storm - 81 mph. The governor, who visited Conimicut Village on Monday morning, called Warwick one of Rhode Island's hardest hit areas.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A tree downed at the corner of Opper Avenue and West Shore Road in Conimicut Village caused passersby to slow down, many stopping to take photos on Monday morning. There had been a peak wind gust recorded at Conimicut Light during the height of the storm – 81 mph. Gov. Gina Raimondo, who visited Conimicut Village on Monday morning, called Warwick one of Rhode Island’s hardest hit areas.
[CREDIT: Lincoln Smith] A displaced sailboat outside the Yacht Club in Cranston Monday after a powerful storm knocked down trees and power lines overnight.
[CREDIT: Lincoln Smith] A displaced sailboat outside the Yacht Club in Cranston Monday after a powerful storm knocked down trees and power lines overnight.
UPDATE – 6:58 p.m. Oct. 31: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.

UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: Warwick Public School classes are canceled Tuesday, with seven schools still without power, according to Mayor Scott Avedisian.

Thayer Arena’s ice rink and McDermott Pool will remain closed Tuesday, but trash collection will run Tuesday morning, Avedisian reported.

At 7:29 p.m., Warwick Police announced on Twitter that Diamond Hill Road is closed to through traffic until further notice due to a large number of utility vehicles on the road.

Additional cancelations:

Kent YMCA School’s Out

St Kevin School: Closed 

St Peter School: Closed 

Lighthouse Preschool: Closed

WARWICK, RI — About 11,000 people remained without power Monday evening following a violently gusting storm overnight, a situation Mayor Scott Avedisian said is likely to require the continuing patience of Warwick citizens.

“It’s going to be a long, tedious process,” Avedisian said.

Electricity utility National Grid reported heavy, wet trees and branches had fallen on power lines across the state, resulted in widespread damage in several communities, including 129,000 customers  Warwick was among them.

Monday morning, Warwick residents assessed the damage from fallen branches, snapped power lines and tipped-over trees. Avedisian said cleanup from the damage had gone well during the day, but efforts to restore so many residents’ electricity service would continue to be a painstaking process requiring some streets to shut down while trees are cleared and power lines are repaired.

At 4 p.m., eight Warwick public schools remained without power.  By 8 p.m., the question of whether Warwick’s schools would re-open was still being assessed, with a report on the state of electric service to the school buildings due from National Grid within the hour.

If there are only a few schools without power by Tuesday, Avedisian said, the city would likely hold classes that morning as usual for the balance of the district.

Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane was opened until 9 p.m. Monday for those who need to charge cell phones. Avedisian’s office reported the library and the Senior Center, 27 Pilgrim Parkway, will both open for normal business hours Tuesday, and the public may use the facilities again to charge their phones if necessary.

McDermott pool and the Thayer Arena ice rink were also closed Monday, and their status for the next morning was to be determined late Monday, according to Avedisian’s office.

[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A small street in Warwick Neck, Belle Avenue, was blocked by a fallen tree on Monday morning following a powerful wind and rain storm overnight.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A small street in Warwick Neck, Belle Avenue, was blocked by a fallen tree on Monday morning following a powerful wind and rain storm overnight.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] Among the many hazards for drivers - besides downed trees and downed power lines - were traffic signal outages, including the intersection of Sandy Lane and Warwick Avenue. Several businesses in the same area were without power on Monday morning.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] Among the many hazards for drivers – besides downed trees and downed power lines – were traffic signal outages, including the intersection of Sandy Lane and Warwick Avenue. Several businesses in the same area were without power on Monday morning.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A tree at the corner of Birchwood and West Shore Road, in front of J. Joyce Plumbing, was among the many downed and damaged trees in the Connimicut Village area.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A tree at the corner of Birchwood and West Shore Road, in front of J. Joyce Plumbing, was among the many downed and damaged trees in the Connimicut Village area.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] An uprooted tree in front of 321 Tiffany Avenue blocked the street on Monday morning, knocking down Verizon and Cox Cable lines, but was also checked out by National Grid as the homeowner had no electricity. She had heard the tree go over sometime around 2 a.m., and said the City had been out first thing this morning. She had to drive up to Dunkin Donuts for coffee, and was surprised at the damage she saw driving through Conimicut Village. Trash pick up continued, but empty trash containers were blowing into the street.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] An uprooted tree in front of 321 Tiffany Avenue blocked the street on Monday morning, knocking down Verizon and Cox Cable lines, but was also checked out by National Grid as the homeowner had no electricity. She had heard the tree go over sometime around 2 a.m., and said the City had been out first thing this morning. She had to drive up to Dunkin Donuts for coffee, and was surprised at the damage she saw driving through Conimicut Village. Trash pick up continued, but empty trash containers were blowing into the street.
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] At left, a father and daughter walk down Tiffany Avenue to see the uprooted tree before noon on Monday. His daughter had no school, but was more concerned about her soccer game being cancelled.)
[CREDIT: Beth Hurd] At left, a father and daughter walk down Tiffany Avenue to see the uprooted tree before noon on Monday. His daughter had no school, and her soccer game had been canceled.
{CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A fallen tree partially blocked Wentworth Avenue, near the corner of Bolster, in the Rivervue section of the City on Monday morning.
{CREDIT: Beth Hurd] A fallen tree partially blocked Wentworth Avenue, near the corner of Bolster, in the Rivervue section of the City on Monday morning.

 

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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