Mid-coast weathers blizzard

TOPSHAM

Thanks to a light puffy snow that has saved most Mid-coast residents from experiencing power outages and drivers heeding warnings to stay home if possible, the blizzard of 2015 so far has been quite uneventful for public safety personnel.

“Although this was a major storm, we did have a few things going for us that helped minimize its impact thus far,” wrote Eric Sawyer, director of the Sagadahoc County Emergency Management Agency, in an email to The Times Record on Tuesday evening. “First, we had plenty of warning, and county residents and businesses acted early and decisively — whether it was planning to hunker down and stay off the roads, or close their business.”

Sawyer said that for the most part, “people are letting the road crews do their job in making the roads safe as we enter the final hours of the storm and begin to dig out tomorrow. Also, this is a lighter, fluffier snow than we had back in November.”

Wind gusts of 48 miles per hour were clocked at 2 p.m. on top of the County Courthouse on High Street, which tracked with the predicted gusts of 50 to 55 miles per hour by the National Weather Service.

“Although we were, and continue to be, vigilant of the high winds and their impact on trees and power lines, the weight of the snow isn’t such that it’s dragging down limbs and lines and causing major disruption,” Sawyer said. “Local emergency managers, fire and police, the Department of Transportation and our county sheriff ’s and communications departments have been working hard to ensure the safety of county residents.”

Parking bans were in effect in most larger communities Tuesday until early this morning or later. Dennis Cox, director of Topsham Public Works, said it was great that people stayed off the roads making plowing safer for the road crews. Plowing went well Tuesday, Cox said, though now it will be a challenge to clear all the sidewalks because so much snow fell.

Brunswick Public Works notified residents on its Facebook page that curbside trash and recycling pickup will happen as usual today. There will likely be a parking ban in effect for tonight and Thursday morning to allow for snow removal from Maine Street. With 23 inches of snowfall as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, “Expect a narrow travel lane and limited parking on Maine Street during the day on Wednesday (today),” the department warned.

Many school districts had already called off school for a second day Tuesday night. Schools in Brunswick, Lisbon, Wiscasset, Regional School Units 1, 2, 5 and 12 and School Administrative District 75 are canceled today.

Several town offices announced delayed openings this morning, most opening at 10 a.m. or noon. The Bath City Bus was to resume regular service at 10 a.m. today with no morning Bath Iron Works run.

dmoore@timesrecord.com