Once again, the Metrowest Region is expecting a significant snow event to occur March 12th starting at approximately 11PM and lasting well throughout the day of March 13th. Some projections are calling for up to 15” of snow in our area. Utility companies are also warning people that there could be another round of power outages for the region as well.
In response, all Town of Ashland municipal buildings and Ashland Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday. All meetings scheduled on Tuesday evening in Town Hall will be cancelled as well.
Our DPW fleet will be on the road the evening of March 12th treating the roads and beginning plow operations, with contractors being brought in during the early morning hours to continue plowing and snow removal operations. The protocol is main arterial roads first, followed by secondary roads and neighborhoods. We ask you to please stay off the road if you can as blizzard conditions could exist throughout the storm. A parking ban is in effect from midnight 3/12 to 6AM - 3/14 morning. Additionally, trash pickup for Tuesday has been delayed one day and sequentially a day delay for the rest of the week.
As mentioned there is the potential for multiple power outages again in the region. As a precaution please charge all devices like cell phones and laptops tonight. Also, if you do lose power unplug sensitive devices as they could be potentially damaged when power is restored. Use flashlights instead of candles, and make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries. During the storm make sure you clear around your gas meters, furnace and heating vents.
Some may have generators hooked up to your home to provide backup power. If you are using a generator make sure you place the generator outdoors facing away from doors, windows and vents. Never use a generator inside a house, basement or crawl space – not even inside a garage with the door open. When possible, place the generator 5-10 feet away from the house.
Should you see downed wires and trees, please report them to Eversource and the Ashland Police Department.
If necessary, the town will activate the Emergency Operations Center. In the case of widespread power outages we will also consider opening warming and charging stations in town.
Communications: There are a number of ways to receive emergency notifications and communications from the Town. We encourage you to utilize all of them to ensure you stay updated.
Sign up for the Town’s CodeRed system to receive alerts. If necessary, we will using this tool to provide important non-emergency information and updates such as road closures, trash schedules, town services such as opening a warming center. Residents can choose several different methods: landline, cell phone, email, text message, and/or TTY.
https://public.coderedweb.com/cne/en-US/BF74D35316B3
You can also sign up for notifications and updates to the town’s website by utilizing the NotifyMe feature of the Town’s website:
http://www.ashlandmass.com/list.aspx
Many updates are also pushed out through social media, including the Town of Ashland Facebook page and the Town Manager’s twitter account which you can sign up for here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TownofAshlandMA/
Twitter: @AshlandTwnMgr
Finally, please be a good neighbor. Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially the elderly, those who live alone, those with medical conditions, and those who may need additional assistance.