Darien Schools On Remote Learning Thursday During Storm: UPDATE

Darien CT

16 December, 2020

6:02 PM

Description

DARIEN, CT — Darien Public Schools are on a remote learning schedule on Thursday, as this winter's first major storm dumped a significant amount of snow in town and throughout Connecticut. District officials made the final decision and announcement Thursday morning, and posted it on the school district website. On Wednesday, officials planned for a remote learning day, but said the final decision would be made Thursday morning to determine if there were widespread power outages, wrote the Darien Times. As of 6:07 a.m. on Thursday, Eversource reported 46 of its Darien customers did not have power, or less than 0.6 percent of the town. On Wednesday, Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson "strongly discouraged" driving on Darien roads during the storm, called Winter Storm Gail, which as expected, dumped significant amounts of snow throughout the region. In a Code Red message late Wednesday afternoon, Stevenson said a Winter Storm Warning had been issued for Connecticut that will last until 1 p.m. Thursday. "Non-essential travel on local and state roadways tonight and tomorrow is strongly discouraged," Stevenson said. "Police, Fire and EMS responding to stranded motorists and minor traffic incidents slows response to more serious storm related emergencies. Moving and removing snow from a large storm event must occur in stages. Keeping roads passable for emergency vehicles is our first priority. Widening drivable areas will follow once the storm has concluded and may take several days." Below is the text from Stevenson's Wednesday Code Red message: This is First Selectman, Jayme Stevenson with a Winter Storm Warning message for Wednesday,December 16th. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for all of Connecticut beginning at 7:00pm this evening and extending until 1:00pm Thursday, December 17th. Winter Storm Gail, the first major nor'easter of the winter season, is expected to begin impacting Darien between 5pm and 8pm this evening with heavy snow expected throughout the night. Accumulations of between 1 1⁄2 and 3" per hour are possible and may cause dangerous white-out conditions. Strong winds and wind gusts of up to 40 mph may cause power and communication system outages. Repairs will not begin until storm conditions subside. We recommend waiting 8 hours before clearing sidewalks as town and state plows will move snow back onto sidewalks. In white-out conditions, plow drivers cannot see pedestrians or pets. Do not walk or run anywhere near roadways where plows are actively plowing. If you must walk outside near roadways during the storm, wear high-visibility clothing. Non-essential travel on local and state roadways tonight and tomorrow is strongly discouraged. Police, Fire and EMS responding to stranded motorists and minor traffic incidents slows response to more serious storm related emergencies. Moving and removing snow from a large storm event must occur in stages. Keeping roads passable for emergency vehicles is our first priority. Widening drivable areas will follow once the storm has concluded and may take several days. Please check in with neighbors who may be less capable of managing during a storm event of thismagnitude. Temperatures will be well below freezing for the next several evenings. The Town will assess the need for warming centers as the need arises. Darien Public Schools are in remote-learning status and the Darien Library is close on Thursday,December 17th. Do not call 911 for routine storm questions. 911 lines must stay open for life-threatening andemergency calls only. Emergency Contacts Emergency/Life-Safety: 911 Police Non-Emergency: (203) 662-5300 Emergency Operations Center: [email protected] Eversource: Power Outages: 800-286-2000Online @ https://www.eversource.com/CustomerCare/ReportOutage Altice (Optimum): Residential Customer Service: 866-950-3278Message Optimum @ optimum.net/chatTweet to @Optimumhelp Frontier: Damaged poles, downed wires/cable: 877-486-5667 Aquarion: Daytime- 800-732-9678Emergency Answering Service: 888-234-3128 STAY SAFE! Winter storm warning in effect as Connecticut prepares for first major snowstorm of season; up to 18 inches expected https://t.co/3cf0jSEqJr— Town of Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson (@DarienCEOJayme) December 16, 2020