Worcester Tries To Make Room For More Snow
WORCESTER (CBS) - The partial collapse of a metal canopy over pumps at a gas station on Lincoln Street in Worcester graphically illustrates the danger that persists in this tough and tedious season of extraordinary snow accumulation.
A contractor brought in a crane to remove snow and begin repairs on the canopy, the outer edge of which buckled under the weight of snow that has built-up on flat roofs throughout the region. Fortunately, no one was hurt. In other parts of Worcester, crews were removing snow from flat roofs such as one at the Fallon Clinic. Private home owners like William Howard probably wanted to invert the term ice dam as they sweated up a storm clearing their roofs.
"So, I got the old garden rake out cause you can't find a snow rake anywhere in Massachusetts right now for under 75 bucks so I figure I'll use what I got," said Howard.
WBZ-TV's Ron Sanders reports.
A Worcester DPW crew cleared narrow downtown streets to widen them and to make room for the unwelcomed arrival of more snow the next couple of days. Eight crews worked on emergency snow removal through the weekend.
Robert Moylan, Worcester's DPW Commissioner, ranked by his peers as one of the top 10 public works leaders in the nation, says he prioritizes snow removal to keep streets open for emergency vehicles.
"And yes, on occasion, we'll push in a shoveled sidewalk and yes, on occasion, we'll push in a cleared out driveway but please have patience and understand that in the overall picture, we're trying to do it for them," explained Moylan.
Worcester's latest snow emergency parking ban has been in effect more than a week and will remain in effect until streets are cleared well enough for emergency vehicles.
After spending $3 million on snow removal this season, creating a half million dollar deficit and facing a million or more in snow-related costs this week, Moylan foresees the possibility of asking for federal assistance which came after the Blizzard of '78. "We worked 4 full weeks after that Blizzard, around the clock removing snow from all of our streets," said Moylan.
Moylan expressed appreciation for the mandate he's been given by the city manager and city council to keep streets safe with cost a secondary consideration.
