State of emergency declared in Fall River ahead of blizzard; heavy snow, wind expected

Lynne Sullivan, The Herald News
·3 min read

FALL RIVER — Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan announced that a state of emergency will be in place from 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, through 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan 30, as a major blizzard bears down on the region.

The mayor ordered all non-essential businesses to close and all non-essential vehicles to remain off roadways during this time period, according to a news release. These actions are crucial to the safety of Fall River’s plow operations and emergency personnel. Residents should make necessary preparations to shelter in place for the day of Saturday, Jan. 29, the release stated

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the region, including New Bedford, in effect from 12 a.m. Saturday to 12 a.m. Sunday. The NWS is forecasting 17 to 22 inches of snow in the area, with winds of up to 60 mph. Storm conditions are expected to make travel very difficult Saturday — the NWS recommends emergency travel only — and through the weekend.

Coogan urged all non-essential businesses to close, and echoed the weather service's call for all non-emergency vehicles to stay off the roads, to facilitate the city’s response to the storm.

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Snow totals: How much snow will your town get during the blizzard?

Parking ban begins at 6 p.m. Friday

A parking ban will be in effect from 6 p.m. Friday until further notice. Parking is only allowed on the north side of city streets that run east and west and on the west side of streets that run north and south. Parking is allowed, unless posted, on both sides of any street that is divided by a traffic median. Parking against a median is prohibited. Parking is not allowed within 20 feet of a corner to allow access for snow removing vehicles. Vehicles in violation of the parking ban will be towed.

Parking is available at the following locations until the ban is no longer in effect:

  • Flint Municipal Parking Lot on Cash Street

  • Municipal Parking Lot on Columbia Street

  • Talbot Middle School on Melrose Street

  • Morton Middle School Parking Lot on Hood Street

Saving parking spots by placing furniture or household objects in the street is prohibited by law. Placing objects in the street to reserve a parking spot is punishable by fine. o Utilize driveways and consider sharing off-street parking with neighbors. o It is the responsibility of each homeowner to clear sidewalks of snow. Failure to do so is punishable by fine.

If there is a fire hydrant located near your property, please ensure that it is cleared so that emergency services can access the hydrant if needed.

If you are willing to volunteer to clear sidewalks for sick, disabled or elderly residents, please contact the Mayor’s office at 508-324-2600.

Weekend storm: Snow-related parking bans, closures and cancellations for the Fall River area

Outage map: Severe weather power outages

Emergency contact numbers

  • MAYOR’S OFFICE: 508-324-2600 or 508-324-2601 or 508-324-2602

  • TRAFFIC DEPT: 508-324-2579 or 508-207-2584 or 508-324-2000

  • DPW: 508-324-2760

  • NATIONAL GRID OUTAGE MAP: https://outagemap.ma.nationalgridus.com/

  • For members of our homeless population in need of shelter, please reach out to the First Step Inn at 134 Durfee St or call 508-679-8001

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River snow: State of emergency declared by mayor ahead of blizzard