Cleanup continues across the region after Monday’s massive storm, but in some communities like Fall River, Massachusetts, the side streets have barely been touched.
A travel ban remains in place in Fall River where more than 3 feet of snow fell just days ago. There are countless cars still buried in the snow, as officials say people need to be off the streets so they can work to clear that snow off of the unplowed streets.
“We got slammed, the whole area got slammed, and now everybody’s on the scramble,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said.
“Seeing it firsthand, nothing like it,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said. “We have pledged to do everything we can to support communities. We have more community assistance requests in to MEMA than I think I’ve seen in a very long time.”
We have team coverage this morning as we’re expecting a little more snow today while many are still digging out from Monday’s massive snowstorm.
Highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver said they were sending Massachusetts Department of Transportation trucks to Fall River because the situation is that dire.
The amount of snowfall in such a short time is the main reason it got to this point, but the mayor said the snow plow contractor shortage certainly did not help. Coogan said back in the day they used to have 200 contractors. For this storm, they had less than 90.
Fall River police acknowledged many residents have been asking, “Has my street been plowed?”
The police department shared a new community-driven tool on their Facebook page Wednesday — the Fall River Snow Plow Tracker.
This not an official live tracker from the city, however, and it will not provide immediate or real-time assistance, according to police. It does allow officials to collectively identify areas where plows have been reported helping residents know where crews have been and helping officials understand where they need to go next.
Police gave a huge shout-out to Matt Medeiros for his ambition and willingness to help the community by creating this tracker to help residents stay informed during this event.
Police also shared an update on snow removal operations, saying additional equipment is arriving from out of state today.
Crews with heavy equipment worked through the night and will continue working throughout the day Wednesday.
Snow operations remain active and ongoing, police said, as they urged residents to be patient as officials push to clear streets city-wide.
“Thank you for your cooperation and understanding,” police wrote on Facebook. “Stay safe, and thank you to all of our dedicated crews and community members pitching in during this storm.”
It’s unclear when Fall River’s travel ban will be lifted, but anyone who violates it could face a $500 fine.
Coogan has said he hopes most roads will be reopened by the end of day Wednesday.
Munashe Kwangwari and Kaitlin McKinley Becker
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