New Bedford Hurricane Sandy Update and Services
October 30th update can be found at: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/city-of-new-bedford-services-update/2012/10/30.
Here is an update from Mayor Jon Mitchell on New Bedford services for Hurricane Sandy. We will update this often so check back for updates!
New Bedford Hurricane Barrier Street Gates Closed
The City of New Bedford in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed the hurricane gates on East and West Rodney French Boulevards and on Cove Road. Residents will still be able to enter and exit the peninsula using Brock Avenue. The gates will remain closed for the duration of the storm.
South Dartmouth Being Evacuated
Police say there is a mandatory evacuation for the south area of Dartmouth because of Hurricane Sandy. Police officers are going door to door to alert residents if they are in the area that needs to evacuate. Read more here.
New Bedford Public Schools Closed on Tuesday
New Bedford Public Schools, including after school and night programs, will be closed for a second day tomorrow, Tuesday, October 30, 2012.
New Bedford City Offices Closed on Tuesday
City offices will be closed for a second day, tomorrow Tuesday, October 30, 2012 including City Hall, the public libraries, senior centers, and the Buttonwood Park Zoo. Only City employees designated as essential should report to work.
Sandbags Distributed to City Residents
City crews continue to fill sandbags and are distributing them to City residents at the City Yard on Liberty Street. Residents should call the City yard first to confirm the availability of bags 508-991-6133. The supply of bags that the City had been making available at 1105 Shawmut Ave. (DPI) has been exhausted with more than 2,000 bags distributed. Residents should no longer go to the Shawmut Avenue location.
The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Shutting Down
The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority has announced plans to suspend services at 3:30 PM today, Monday, October 29. Plans for resumption of service will be announced based on road and weather conditions. Residents can call 508-999-5211 for information about the status of SRTA services.
Voluntary Evacuation Recommended for Low-lying Areas
This afternoon, the Mayor recommended that residents in homes along Padanaram Avenue, and low-lying areas that traditionally experience flooding along East and West Rodney French Boulevard evacuate their properties by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, October, 29th. There is no mandatory evacuation order in effect at this time, but it is strongly suggested in light of the predicted high storm surge in these vulnerable areas.
The New Bedford Police Department will man security checkpoints to limit access to the South End (from the intersections of Cove Street and East and West Rodney French Boulevard, and Padanaram Avenue). Police will also limit local travel throughout the South End. In order to protect the public and ensure the safety of emergency personnel, no one will be permitted to travel to the South End to watch the storm.
NSTAR Power Outage Tracker
http://outagemap.nstar.com/outage/OutageMap.aspx
Shelters
As of 8:00 p.m. tonight, city officials will open Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Boulevard for those residents who are in need of shelter. The Keith Middle School shelter is a “pet friendly” shelter. Residents are allowed to bring pets with them to the shelter when they evacuate. Individuals needing transportation to the Keith shelter should call the New Bedford Police Department non-emergency line at (508) 991-6350.
As of 7:00 a.m. Monday morning, the soup kitchen at Pilgrim Church, 634 Purchase Street will also be open to those seeking food and shelter throughout the storm.
Both the Keith and Pilgrim Church shelters will be equipped with staff, food, and cots. Residents should bring blankets, prescription medication, and toiletries with them.
New Bedford Public Schools Closed on Monday
New Bedford Public Schools, including after school and night programs, will be closed tomorrow, Monday, October 29, 2012. No decision has been made yet on whether school will be in session on Tuesday, October 30, 2012.
New Bedford City Offices Closed on Monday
City offices will be closed tomorrow Monday, October 29, 2012 including City Hall, the public libraries, senior centers, and the Buttonwood Park Zoo. New Bedford Regional Airport will remain in operation for as long as it remains safe. Passengers should contact their air carriers, including Cape Air, directly to confirm their flight status. Only City employees designated as essential should report to work. No decision has been made yet on whether city offices will be open on Tuesday, October 30, 2012.
Trash Collection Schedule Delayed Two Days
The normal trash collection schedule will be delayed by 2 days. For example, if your trash is normally collected on Monday, it will be collected on Wednesday this week. If your trash is normally collected on Tuesday, it will be collected on Thursday this week, and so on…
Anticipated Closure of the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier
The Army Corps of Engineers has indicated that the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier may close as early as 5:00 a.m. on Monday, October 29, 2012. The Mayor urged all vessel owners to plan to be inside the harbor prior to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, October 29, 2012. The Army Corps will make a determination regarding the closure of the barrier street gates at Padanaram Avenue, West Rodney French Boulevard and East Rodney French Boulevard based on the severity of any storm surge. Update: The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier was closed around 3 p.m. on Monday, 29 October.
New Bedford Airport
All scheduled airline flights at New Bedford Regional Airport have been cancelled today. Passengers should check with their airline concerning flights scheduled for Tuesday, October 30. The Airport remains open as of 8:30 a.m. this morning.
Important Emergency Contact Numbers
• To report a downed power line, medical, fire or other emergencies please dial 911.
• NSTAR is prepared to address and damage and outages resulting from the storm and encourages customers whose electric service is affected to call 1-800-592-2000. NSTAR strongly urges people to stay away from all down wires and to report them immediately.
• To report a fallen tree or branch, please contact the New Bedford City Yard at (508) 991-6133.
• New Bedford Police Department can also be reached on its Non-emergency line at (508) 991-6350
• Please visit the City’s website at www.newbedford-ma.gov for more information and updates regarding Hurricane Sandy.
Here is New Bedford’s official Hurricane Preparedness Checklist (http://newbedford-ma.gov/Mayor/PressReleases2012/Hurricane_Preparedness_Checklist.pdf) and a general one (http://newbedford-ma.gov/Mayor/PressReleases2012/Hurricane_Preparedness.ENGLISH.pdf). For Spanish readers: http://newbedford-ma.gov/Mayor/PressReleases2012/Hurricane_Preparedness.SPANISH.pdf.