Year: 2013

On top of losing power and internet connection, which just came back, I couldn’t get out of my house, so this is the best I could do.  View of my walkway with 4′ of snow covering it, snowed in screen porch with the snow piled up against the door.  My neighbor, Sarah Hackett, had bare ground showing on part of her yard, and snow up to her windows.  And it’s still snowing!  My neighbor Jen Nicol came over the cleared my door, so I can get out to try to clear the 6′ of snow that has drifted up behind all our cars at the top of the Union Court. Things you can’t help but love about living in New England.

E.J. Lefavour

Hi Everyone,

Due to the snow, the Cape Ann Painter and Photography Group scheduled for February 11 has been cancelled. Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 11. We we be holding the March meeting at Cape Ann Giclee on 20 Maplewood Avenue. Details later.

Alice Gardner

Storm Update As of 2pm, we expect that the last remnants of snowfall will be leaving us over the next couple hours. We have already seen an abatement in the wind. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has closed as of 1pm. The Governor of Massachusetts has left the driving ban in place indicating the toll this storm has taken on resources and the incredible effort it will take to clean up from it. The driving ban will be lifted at 4pm. Until that time, we are urging all residents to still remain indoors and abide by the lawful declaration of the Governor. DO NOT DRIVE. In addition to the added hazard you place on yourself, the burden unnecessary road travel can have on Public Safety and DPW efforts can undermine the efforts to restore the City to normal function safely and quickly. In addition, the Governor has mandated that a criminal penalty may be imposed for those who violate the ban of up to a year in jail and a fine. Please understand that nonessential, nonemergency driving simply stalls our efforts to continue to address the storms aftermath. If you do not have to drive after the ban is lifted at 4pm, please do not. While the penalties and declarations will be removed, efforts will be just getting underway to clean the City up. The more we all cooperate, the quicker we clean up and the less we are all frustrated by what Mother Nature has burdened us with. The tide at 10am was destructive in the sense that it caused significant damage to two houses on Salt Island Road, caused the Police Department to close the backshore, made the footbridge at Good Harbor unstable and possibly loosened it from its pilings, and caused more damage to the Lanes Cove seawall. This is not to mention the incredible amount of debris that was washed up onto Atlantic Road that will need to be addressed. National Grid is out and working and we currently have under 1000 residents out of power. They will continue their efforts until everyone is restored. The DPW continues to work tirelessly to make main and secondary roads safe for travel and to clean up the accumulated snow piles that plowing inevitably creates. Be patient. A storm of this magnitude stresses all resources we have, and the DPW has done and will continue to do and extraordinary job in cleaning the roadways. It takes time and you can expect clean-up efforts to stretch throughout the weekend at the least. Again, I would urge residents to make sure they have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, to seek out and clear any exterior venting from indoor gas, oil or other fuel source and to check on and help out their neighbors when they are able to. Lastly, on behalf of Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Fire Chief Eric Smith, DPW Director Michael Hale and myself, we would like to express our gratitude for the cooperation of all Gloucester residents during this crisis. By heeding warnings and emergency instructions, you allowed us to do our jobs to the best of our ability, and minimized the possibility of injury to yourselves and public safety workers. This will be the last update from me as Point of Information Officer regarding this storm event unless there is new or important information to convey. Thank you for your attention and cooperation throughout the storm. Sincerely, Leonard CampanelloChief of PoliceCity of Gloucester, MA

Caption this photo

Below is the only official information being issued by the city in regards to the storm. The protocol in these events is to designate an Information Officer so that there is continuity of information that flows to the public. Any other statements you may have received are unofficial and do not represent the City. Below is the City’s official release as of 950am Saturday: Storm Update from DPW:The snow came down so quickly and heavily creating poor visibility that stalled the snow plowing operation. Please be patient, Public Works is aware of the side streets that are impassible and is working very hard to catch up with plowing efforts. Please be aware that it will take the better part of this weekend to get the roads opened up let alone cleaned up. To help speed this process please abide by the driving ban and stay off the roads. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated and necessary.Storm Update from Point of Information Officer (PIO): The Mayors Office, Police, Fire, Ems and DPW have been working diligently throughout the night to stay on top of this storm. A storm of this magnitude of course creates widespread issues that must be approached slowly and methodically. Overnight, we experienced several power outages which were address by National Grid in a prioritized manner. We also responded to several calls for stranded motorists, despite the Governors ban on driving. At this time, the ban is STILL IN EFFECT. The City parking ban is also STILL IN EFFECT. PLEASE stay indoors and do not drive. Not only is driving at this point putting people in danger, but it is limiting the resources available from public safety to deal with emergencies. We are also urging, at the highest level, that people stay away from the shoreline, especially the backshore, which as of 9am today has been closed until high tide recedes. There is significant splash-over that is spilling large debris in the roadway. The footbridge is likely at risk as well. An area of seawall at Lanes Cove has also been destroyed and significant property damage is being reported on Salt Island Road. As such, I reiterate that the storm is still ongoing, still dangerous, and it is important to stay inside and off the roadways. The storm will continue todayand may worsen in terms of wind and additional snowfall toward the tail end, causing further issues for Public Safety response. DPW will be continuouslyplowing and getting to the streets that are impassable. As I mentioned yesterday, while the snow will abate today, the storm will continue to cause issues well into Sunday and Monday with clean-up efforts. Cooperation from the residents of Gloucester is essential for the quickest and safest possible return to normal operation and driving. The EOC remains in operation until further notice at AddisonGilbert Hospital and will have a representative from each public safety sector to insure we have no interruptions in communicationsand to properly record the storm and our responses for State analysis. If you experience a power outage, call National Grid directly at 800-465-1212. If it is an emergency such as an arcing wire or a tree on wires, please call the Police Department directly and we will attempt to expedite response. In addition, helpful information can be found 978-281-9775lcampanello