Village Prepares for Winter Storm Stella - Monday Evening through Tuesday Morning

In preparation for the impending winter storm, the Village Public Works staff is working to ensure that the Village roadways remain safe. Current forecasts are calling for the snow to begin around 7:00 p.m. this evening and continue through the morning rush hour on Tuesday. Accumulations between 3 to 6 inches of heavy wet snow with possible sleet mixing in have been forecast for the area. In addition to the heavy snow, winds are expected to gust up to 25 mph, which can bring down tree limbs and utility wires. Accordingly, the Village’s tree contractor is on standby to respond should a need arise.

Please see below for important information on refuse/recycling collection.

For the safety of our residents and Public Works staff, residents are asked to avoid walking in the street and when driving to keep their distance from Village snowplows when they are operating.

Residents are asked to please move vehicles off of Village roadways to provide as much operating room for Village snowplows as possible. If you do not have a driveway that can accommodate your vehicles, please attempt to park as close as possible to the curb. In past storms, the Village Public Works Department has observed numerous vehicles that were parked a distance from the curb. This impedes their ability to clear streets of snow and could result in vehicle damage.

Residents are reminded that if they must travel in these conditions, please exercise extreme caution. As always the Village Communications Center and Police Department will remain staffed through the storm and are available to respond to emergencies.

Possible Power Outages

In the event of a power outage, the Village will be in contact with PEPCO to ensure power is restored as promptly as possible; however, power restoration may be hampered as weather conditions dictate. In anticipation of the storm, PEPCO has placed power restoration personnel and equipment on standby. Residents are reminded that if you lose power to contact PEPCO directly at (877) 737-2662 and the Village Communications Center at (301) 654-7300. Residents should not assume that PEPCO knows you do not have power—every household that loses power should contact both PEPCO and the Village, which also allows us to monitor the scope of the outage. As always, the Village Hall is available for Village residents as a warming center and to charge electrical devices.

Residents are reminded to never touch or drive over downed utility lines. All downed utility lines are to be treated as if they are live.

Trash and Recycling Collection

At this time trash collection for Tuesday is NOT expected to be affected.

Snow Removal from Sidewalks

Residents are reminded that they are responsible for clearing all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of or abutting their property within the first forty-eight (48) hours after the cessation of falling snow. Residents who occupy corner lots are responsible for the sidewalk in front of AND on the side of their property. Residents abutting Connecticut Avenue and Brookville Road are not required to clear these sidewalks, which are maintained by our Public Works staff.

Don’t forget that teens offering snow removal are listed each month in the Village Crier.  Please see the March issue or contact the Village’s Communications Center at (301) 654-7300 for the current list.

Planning Ahead for Residents
 

• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers. Customers can find tips on preparing for a storm on our website, www.pepco.com.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of nonperishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
• Make sure you have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won’t work if there is an outage.
• Protect your electronic equipment. Plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors, and consider a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for temporary battery backup power.
• Identify a safe alternate location in case of an extended outage.
• Tune to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
• Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.
• If candles and heaters are used, never leave them unattended and watch children and pets who could knock them over.

• Police or Fire Department Emergency: 9-1-1
• Chevy Chase Village Communications Center: (301) 654-7300 (non-emergency)
• PEPCO: (877) 737-2662
• Comcast: (800) 934-6489
• Verizon: (800) 837-4966
• Washington Gas: (800) 752-7520
• WSSC: (301) 206-4002