Philadelphia's snow emergency is over, Mayor Parker announces Friday
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's snow emergency that was declared Thursday night for Friday morning is now over. Mayor Cherelle Parker, Managing Director Adam Thiel, and Clean and Green Initiative Director Carlton Williams announced that the snow emergency was over at 7 p.m. Friday.
With the snow emergency over, cars are allowed to park on snow emergency routes.
Officials said if your car was relocated during the snow emergency to call 215-686-SNOW to find it and to not call 911.
"For the last several days, the City of Philadelphia and all its departments, as well as our partner agencies, have worked collaboratively in a united front with one mission: to be ahead of this first major snowstorm in Philly in several years," said Mayor Parker. "While we're not out of the woods and much work remains to be done tonight and through the weekend, I can confidently say, Philly has met this winter weather challenge and passed it – together. This is what One Philly looks like."
Parker, Thiel, and Williams gave updates Friday afternoon on how the city will continue to handle the winter storm safety.
"We stayed ahead of this storm, under the Mayor's leadership, and you can start seeing the results," Thiel said during a press conference at the City's Emergency Operations Center. "We've made a lot of progress cleaning our streets, but there is still a lot of work left to do to get things back to normal. Every agency, city, state and private entities, are doing their part to keep Philadelphia safe and operable, and we want to thank Philadelphians for doing their part to keep each other safe."
"Streets Department continues its snow plowing operations and crews will work through the night to clear more roads and streets," Williams said. "Primary and secondary streets have been made passable. Crews plowed the roads throughout the day and are focusing their efforts on servicing smaller residential streets that have not yet been plowed." Williams estimated that 75 percent of city streets have already been plowed at least once.
Parker, Thiel, and Williams urged Philadelphians with safety tips and reminders:
- It's going to go below-freezing Friday night. Roads may get icier. Please – stay home.
- If you absolutely must go out, be careful and drive slowly.
- Give the plows and other workers plenty of space to do their jobs. They will work through the night Friday and into the morning.
- Be patient with one another and our workforce – they're out there working hard to protect you.
- Be sure to check on others to make sure everyone is doing okay during the storm.
- If you're out shoveling, and you've got an older neighbor, shovel their sidewalk, if you can. Be kind to one another.
- Do not shovel or plow snow into the street. This practice is illegal, unsafe and hinders snow operations. The penalty for violating this can range from $50 to $300.
- Clear a sidewalk path at least 36 inches wide within six hours of the end of the storm.
Acting Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner Craig Murphy also wanted to remind Philadelphians of safety tips using caution while home heating in cold temps:
- Check in with your neighbors to make sure they're OK — especially those who are homebound or elderly.
- Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they're working. Candles can be a hazard, so make sure you have flashlights on hand in case your power goes out. If you use a fireplace, open your chimney flue and make sure it's clear of any snow. If your flue is blocked, do not use your fireplace. Keep heaters plugged directly into the wall, not a power strip, and at least three feet from any belongings. Keep all heaters, no matter what kind you use, out of the reach of children and away from pets.
The city of Philadelphia said there are after-hours intake centers open 24/7 during the snow emergency to help anyone in need of emergency housing shelter. They said the daytime intake center was closed due to the snow emergency.
Officials urged anyone in need of shelter or anyone who has concerns about someone living outside during freezing temps to call the Outreach Hotline at 215-232-1984.