Newport Preparing for Fast-Moving Elsa

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Beach to Close, but Most Services to Remain Open & On Schedule

NEWPORT, R.I. (THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021) – City officials are reminding residents to be Storm Ready as Tropical Storm Elsa bears down on Aquidneck Island.

According to the latest forecasts, tropical storm conditions are expected to sweep over the area early Friday morning with wind gusts of up to 50 mph and rain totals of 2-4” possible before rapidly coming to an end on Friday evening.

As a precaution, the gates to Easton’s Beach will be closed on Friday and the water will be off-limits to swimmers as heavy surf and dangerous rip currents are expected.
Meanwhile, City Hall and offices will remain open for regular business hours on Friday, and no delay is anticipated for trash and recycling pickup.
Friday’s scheduled NIMFest Concert with James Montgomery at King Park, however has been rescheduled to Saturday, July 10^th from 5-7 p.m. and the Easton’s Beach Family Night Concert scheduled for Thursday, July 8^th has been rescheduled to Aug. 19th
Residents and business owners are being asked to secure outdoor items that could dislodge in the wind, including patio furniture, umbrellas, and bird feeders.

·         Boaters are also advised to make sure their vessels are secured to their moorings by doubling up on mooring pennants, reducing windage, and tying down any loose items.
·        On land, Public Services crews will be on standby to respond to reports of fallen trees and residents are urged to avoid downed power lines.
·        With isolated street flooding also possible, motorists are asked to avoid low-lying areas and follow detours should they be required.
·        Finally, in the event of an emergency, residents and visitors are asked to dial 911 to ensure proper dispatch.

With this year shaping up to be a very active hurricane season, Newporters are being urged to take the time to get Storm Ready by updating or assembling a household Emergency Kit; creating a Household Emergency Plan; and signing up for Emergency Alerts through the City’s Smart911 App at www.CityofNewport.com/Alerts.