McKee lifts Travel Ban Ri at noon as cleanup and power restoration continue
Gov. Dan McKee lifted the Travel Ban Ri at noon Tuesday ET and urged residents to stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary as plowing and clearing continue. The move comes while state authorities, mutual-aid crews and utilities work to restore services and check on residents after what McKee called a historic blizzard.
McKee leads briefing and explains his decision to lift the ban
McKee led a briefing on Rhode Island's cleanup efforts and said he had told residents Monday night that he would not lift the ban until it was safe to do so. He said the decision was made mainly on safety and also cited economic concerns tied to reopening businesses, adding that as "a small business guy" he wanted to avoid extending the ban when the state was in a position to open. McKee also warned that full recovery from the historic blizzard would take time and said, "we will get through it, and we will not stop until the job is done. "
State Police response: 269 disabled vehicles, 20 crashes and more than 40 tickets
Rhode Island State Police reported responding to 269 disabled or stuck vehicles and 20 crashes during the blizzard. Officers issued more than 40 tickets to people who violated the travel ban. Emergency dispatch handled heavy volume as E-911 managed 5, 469 calls during the storm.
National Guard deployed for cleanup and warming-center checks, Maj. Gen. Andrew Chevalier says
The governor activated the National Guard to assist with cleanup. Maj. Gen. Andrew Chevalier, adjutant general, said Guard members have visited different warming centers to check on them and have gone through communities to check disabled vehicles to ensure there were no people inside.
Rhode Island Energy outlines crews, outage figures and restoration expectations
Rhode Island Energy reported it has more than 400 crews and 1, 400 personnel assessing damage, clearing debris and restoring power. The utility said it could take up to 72 hours or longer to restore power in some areas. Greg Cornett of Rhode Island Energy described the restoration work as "painstaking and challenging" because of deep snow, ice and cold temperatures.
Cornett said the utility expected to reduce the number of outages to below 10, 000 by the end of Tuesday and that more than 95% of customers should have power restored by Thursday. He added that estimated restoration times would be updated on the Rhode Island Energy outage map. The utility reported about 8, 900 homes and businesses without power as 2: 45 p. m. Tuesday ET.
Mutual aid for heavy equipment and guidance for those needing shelter
Rhode Island has requested mutual aid from other states for access to equipment such as payloaders, heavy-duty plows and backhoes to help with snow removal. The governor said people with shelter or housing needs should visit the Executive Office of Housing website for assistance.
