Community Corner

Somerville Prepares for Sandy

City work crews were planning to work through the weekend to prepare for Hurricane Sandy.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and city officials were monitoring Hurricane Sandy over the weekend, and Curtatone ordered all city departments to make full preparations for the storm, according to Tom Champion, a city spokesperson.

On Friday, and continuing through the weekend, workers were busy cleaning out catch basins, clearing storm sewers and placing sandbags around city buildings prone to flooding, said Champion, who spoke about the preparations Friday.

Crews were removing dead trees and low-hanging branches that the city arborist determined could pose a danger, Champion said.

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We're preparing well in advance" of the storm and "trying to stay ahead of this," Champion said. The city was also coordinating efforts with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, he said.

Champion recommended residents follow preparation and safety guildelines posted by the Massachusetts Emergency Magement Agency.

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Residents are advised to shelter at home during the storm, should it hit.

If needed, the city will use all forms of communication to update residents about the storm, including the city's website and cable channels (13 on RCN, 16 on Comcast), 311 CTY alert phone calls, and social media (Facebook and Twitter). Find some more useful numbers and websites here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here