Winter Storm Watch

The National Weather Service in Mounty Holly, NJ, issued a Winter Storm Watch until Wednesday, February 2. For an update on the forecast, visit http://weather.gov/er/phi/.

This storm brings with it the potential for icy conditions. Freezing rain and ice can cause downed trees and power lines. If you see a downed power line, PECO recommends the following actions:

• Keep yourself and others away from any fallen power lines. You never know when they might be live. Call PECO Energy at 1-800-841-4141 right away and report the location of the downed wires. If a line falls on your car, stay in your car. If you must get out of the car, jump clear, do not touch any part of your car and the ground at the same time and stay clear of the fallen line.

PennDot Cautions Motorists to Avoid Unncessary Travel 
Click to read the full Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) press release. For tips on driving safely on icy roads, check out Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week. Even more winter preparedness information, such as what to put in your car's Winter Emergency Kit, can be found on the Winter Weather page.

If you plan to stay home in the event of a storm, make sure that you have a Home Emergency Kit or a Shelter-in-Place Kit with all the necessary items in case the power goes out or you can't get to the store.

City Activates Emergency Operations Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA –  The Managing Director’s Office of Emergency Management will have a limited activation of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) tonight starting at 6:00 p.m. to coordinate city services during the Snow Emergency which will be effective at 7:00 p.m. this evening.

In addition to the Office of Emergency Management, agencies which will staff the EOC include the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia Streets Department, Fairmount Park, Fleet Management, SEPTA, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and PECO.

All vehicles parked on Snow Emergency Routes must be moved to alternate parking locations before 7:00 p.m. Vehicles remaining on Snow Emergency Routes during the declared Snow Emergency will be ticketed and the City will begin towing vehicles starting at 7:00 p.m. If your car is towed, call 215-686-SNOW for its location. Do not call 9-1-1. A list of snow emergency routes is attached and can also be found at http://www.phila.gov/streets/Snow_Emergency.html.

To report a street in need of salting or plowing or for more information on any Streets Department program or service, call 3-1-1.

The City’s Code Blue remains in effect to provide additional support to the homeless.  If you see a homeless person in need of assistance, please call the Homeless Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984.

Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management Liam O’Keefe encourages Philadelphians to stay informed during the storm:

• Listen to local radio and TV news for updates. 
• Sign up for emergency alerts, weather updates and transportation delays from ReadyNotifyPA at www.phila.gov/ready.
• Follow OEM on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Blogger and You Tube, all of which are available at www.phila.gov/ready.

O’Keefe also recommends that Philadelphians have emergency supply kits for their homes and vehicles.  Items should include bottled water, energy or granola bars, blankets, first-aid kit, and wind up radio and flashlight or battery powered radio and flashlight with extra batteries.

Finally, call 3-1-1 for snow-related updates. Only call 9-1-1 if there is a medical or life-threatening situation.

Snow Emergency Effective at 7 p.m.

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that the City has declared a Snow Emergency effective at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. All vehicles parked on Snow Emergency Routes must be moved to alternate parking locations. Vehicles remaining on Snow Emergency Routes during the declared Snow Emergency will be ticketed and towed. A list of the Snow Emergency Routes can be found at http://www.phila.gov/streets/Snow_Emergency.html.   

Trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. Residents with Thursday pick up should put out their trash and recycling on Friday. Residents with rear driveway pickup should place their collections curbside. 

In anticipation of the snow emergency, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has announced a two-day parking discount beginning after Wednesday, January 26 at 4:00 p.m. and ending on Friday, January 28 at 7:00 a.m. Individuals can park at PPA owned and operated center city garages and will be charged a $5.00 flat rate per day. Parking garages are located at:

• Auto-Park at JFK (16th & JFK) 
• Auto-Park at Independence Mall (5th & Market) 
• Auto-Park at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow) 
• Auto-Park at Gallery Mall (10th & Filbert) 
• Auto-Park at 8th & Filbert 
• Auto-Park at Old City at 2nd and Sansom

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ. expects snow accumulation of six to 12 inches in Philadelphia. The most intense period of snow should be between 6 p.m. and midnight on Wednesday. For an update on the forecast, visit http://weather.gov/er/phi/. 
 
Prepare for the winter weather with these tips:

• Apply any commercial de-icer on steps and sidewalks early to prevent residual moisture from freezing over and creating icy conditions. 
• Clear a sidewalk path of at least 36” wide within 6 hours of the end of the storm. For owners of properties located on the corner, the path must include curb cuts and not simply a path around the corner of the property.
• Do not throw snow into the streets.  This is illegal and significantly hampers plowing operations.
• Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain. 
• Help the fire department by uncovering fire hydrants. 
• Be conscious of the environment – use de-icing salts only as much as needed. One pound of de-icer can cover 100 to 200 square feet.  
• Salt should be applied as soon as a light accumulation has developed on the surface. This will break the bond between additional accumulations and the pavement surface, and will make it easier to shovel. 
• A final light application of a de-icer may be required after removal is completed to melt the residual snow.
• Make sure you park your car as far away from the corner as possible. Cars parked too close to the corner limit the turning radius of salting vehicles.  
• Stay tuned to local media for further updates. 
• Check on sick and elderly neighbors. 
• Bring your pets indoors.

Find additional Winter Preparedness Tips on our Winter Weather page.

Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Make Sure Your Vehicle Is Winter Ready

Before driving this winter check that the brakes, battery, hoses and belts are in good condition. Regularly check your vehicle to make sure that:

• Fluid levels are full.
• Wiper blades don't streak. Install winter wiper blades.
• Heater and defroster are working properly.
• Radio is working, so you can receive weather updates, road conditions and traffic reports.
• All lights are working.
• Tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread. Consider installing snow tires or carry a set of tire chains.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management at www.phila.gov/ready.

Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Keep Warm While Out In The Cold

Stay warm when venturing out this Winter with a few simple tips:

• Dress warmly in layers and stay dry. Wear hats, scarves, and water-repellent coats. Wear mittens instead of gloves; they’ll keep your hands warmer. 
• Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth. 
• Don’t overdue do it. Stretch before you go outside. Take your time while shoveling snow or pushing a car. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. And walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks! 
• Wind Chill makes you get colder faster, as the wind carries away heat from the body. Make sure small children stay warm - especially babies. Babies will get colder much faster than adults. 
• Frostbite is frozen body tissue, usually skin. It affects the extremities first: fingers, toes, ears, and the tip of the nose. The skin might lose feeling, or look white, pale, hard or waxy. As the area thaws, skin may turn red, blue or purple. Skin can also swell or blister. The victim may also feel tingling, burning or severe pain as the frostbitten tissue thaws. 
• Children lose body heat faster than adults, so they can get frostbite faster.
  

MAYOR NUTTER ANNOUNCES END OF SNOW EMERGENCY

Philadelphia, January 12, 2011 - Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that Managing Director Rich Negrin has ended the snow emergency effective 9:00 a.m. Throughout the evening, Streets Department crews utilizing 450 trucks performed snow removal efforts. Five inches of snow fell in Philadelphia with three inches falling between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. 

"I would like to thank the Streets Department crews for being out there early and often. There is still work to be done, but our crews know how to fight snow storms," said Mayor Nutter. "If residents have non-emergency problems on their streets, please call 311. The Call Center is open for business this morning. If you have to go into work, please drive carefully."

Trash and recycling collection has been delayed one day for the remainder of the week since sanitation crews have been redeployed to snow removal efforts. Wednesday’s trash pick up will be on Thursday. Additionally, Thursday’s trash and recycling collection will not be collected from rear driveways. Residents with rear driveway pickup should place their trash collection curbside.

Citizens are urged to employ the following tips:

• Clear a sidewalk path of at least 36" wide within six hours of the end of the storm. Do not shovel snow back into the streets.
• Apply commercial de-icer to your stairs and sidewalks early to prevent icy conditions.
• Park your car as far from the corner as possible. Cars parked too close to the corner impede the turning radius of salting vehicles.

To report a street in need of salting or plowing or for more information on any Streets Department program or service, call 3-1-1. You may also visit us online at www.phila.gov/streets/Snow.html.

Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Dispose Of Your Christmas Tree Properly

The Philadelphia Department of Streets offers trash and recycling options for your tree. The Tree Recycling Program will run for two weeks from Monday, January 3 until Saturday, January 15. This program provides an environmentally safe alternative for disposal of used trees.

• Citizens who wish to drop off their tree for recycling may take it to the Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers located at 3033 South 63rd Street, Domino Lane and Umbria Street and State Road and Ashburner Street during these weeks only. The sites are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
• Commercial entities are not permitted to use Sanitation Convenience Centers to dispose of their trees.
• Christmas trees brought to the site should be in the following condition:
• Free of all decorations and ornaments
• Untied
• Free of plastic bags or wrappings 
• Christmas trees put out at curbside will be collected as trash.
• More than 20 local civic and nonprofit organizations are working together to recycle trees on January 8 and 9. Information can be found at http://www.phila.gov/streets/ChristmasTrees.html.
• Citizens who require additional information regarding the Christmas Tree Recycling Program may contact the Customer Affairs Unit at (215) 686-5560 or visit www.phila.gov/streets.

Resolve to be Ready in 2011

Being prepared for emergencies can be an easy New Year's resolution to keep by following these three simple steps: 

• Make a Family Emergency Plan
• Develop a Go Bag and a Shelter-in-Place Kit
• Be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur in the City by visiting the Philadelphia Hazards page on the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management's website www.phila.gov/ready.