Dear New Britain Residents,
The Blizzard of 2013 we just experienced dropped 30+ inches in New Britain in less than one day.
To put this in perspective, that is more snow than fell during the Blizzard of 1978. Even the winter two years ago that produced so much snow did not dump this amount in such a short period of time. And, it’s important to note that cities such as Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport and some surrounding towns are experiencing the same challenges associated with this disaster.
This is a natural disaster situation. Even though city crews have been working to clear snow, round the clock, even before the snow began to fall, please do not have the expectation of things returning to normal within normal snowstorm timeframes.
Such a significant amount of snow over a small period of time has prevented city plows from breaking through the snow and have been getting stuck. We have had to use payloaders and construction equipment to remove snow before plows can gain access. We have requested additional assistance from the state and National Guard to expedite the cleanup from this natural disaster.
The city has first focused on priority roadways such as main streets and arteries. City Public Works is working with city crews and private contractors to excavate the snow from streets to enable plows to access them. Plows cannot even get onto most streets until this is done.
While I hope to have most streets open for basic travel access today or tomorrow, conditions are proving even more difficult than expected. Depending on the difficulty of the snow excavation ahead, some streets may not be plowed until Tuesday. And please be aware that streets will not be fully cleared for perhaps a week or more.
Although you may not have seen a plow on your street, city crews have been working around the clock and will continue to do so until the snow is cleared. There is a massive amount of snow to move.
Of course, making sure that the city residents can be reached by medical, fire and police emergency responders is top priority, and the city Public Works crews are coordinating with emergency responders to get emergency response to all sections of the city.
Important information for residents:
- Call 911 for emergencies only
- Call 860-826-3000 if you are at risk and need assistance due to the storm
- Schools will be closed Monday
- Due to the mass of snow, garbage collection will not occur this week. Garbage collection will resume next week, and, for that week only, you may use your recycling bins for trash.
- The state has seen an increase in carbon monoxide poisoning incidents. Please clear any snow from outside vents to prevent build up in your home.
- For safety when driving, please stop at all all intersections - even those without stop signs or stop lights - and please do not drive over 25 MPH on any road.
- The parking ban will remain in effect until further notice, as this is necessary for clearing snow and allowing emergency personnel to have access in cases of emergencies.
Thank you very much for your patience and for pulling together as a community during this extraordinary disaster.
Please stay safe.
Sincerely,
~Mayor Timothy O’Brien
