Home Economy Government McKee declares disaster emergency in R.I. following storm

McKee declares disaster emergency in R.I. following storm

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PBN Staff

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12/20/2023

McKee-new — GOV. DANIEL J. MCKEE on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring a disaster emergency in the state after a storm on Dec. 18 knocked out power for thousands. PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring a disaster emergency in the state after a storm on Dec. 18 knocked out power for thousands, caused heavy flooding and wreaked havoc on commuters already reeling from the partial closure of the Washington Bridge. The declaration will help support Rhode Island’s

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PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring a disaster emergency in the state after a storm on Dec. 18 knocked out power for thousands, caused heavy flooding and wreaked havoc on commuters already reeling from the partial closure of the Washington Bridge. The declaration will help support Rhode Island’s recovery operations and potentially unlock federal relief should the state meet certain financial thresholds as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. R.I. Emergency Management Agency has already begun the damage assessment process with municipalities. "Cities and towns across Rhode Island continue to feel the impact of the storm our state experienced earlier this week,” McKee said in a news release. “On the day of the storm, I spoke with local leaders and saw firsthand the significant damage caused to communities, homes and businesses. Our team is committed to using any available resource to assist Rhode Island’s recovery efforts.” The storm slammed the East Coast. More than 5 inches of rain fell in parts of New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania, and portions of several other states got more than 4 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Utility crews worked to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers after the powerful storm. Wind gusts reached nearly 70 mph along the New England shoreline. People across the northeastern U.S. were still mopping up Wednesday after the storm dumped torrential rains and brought damaging winds from Pennsylvania to Maine, as some rivers in the region rose even higher. Some of the worst damage was in Vermont and Maine, where hundreds of thousands of people still lacked power. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, 160 Rhode Islanders were still without power, according to Rhode Island Energy. About 31,000 residents were in the dark during the storm’s peak on Dec. 18 At least five people in East Coast states were killed in the storm. In Maine, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said water levels were expected to drop in her state over the coming days but they remained dangerously high and posed a serious risk in many parts of the state. The Kennebec River, which runs through Augusta, and the Sandy, Swift, Carrabassett and Androscoggin rivers were all seeing higher water levels than typical, leading to damage and closures, the Maine Department of Transportation said. It was a tough blow just before the holiday, Mills said. "It can't be ignored that this storm arrives just a few days before Christmas, a time of joy," Mills said. "For many in Maine that may no longer be the case. People are dealing with the loss of their homes and damage to property." (Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.)