Severe Storm Strikes Southern New England, Mayor Addresses Recovery Efforts

WARWICK, R.I. — Crews and residents worked tirelessly on Monday to clean up after a severe storm swept through Southern New England. The storm brought heavy winds and rain, causing extensive damage across Rhode Island, particularly in Warwick.

Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi reported that thousands of residents lost power due to fallen trees and powerlines. He praised the hard work of utility crews who labored throughout the holiday weekend. “They were out there long hours, and we appreciate their efforts,” Picozzi said.

The storm, which struck on July 3, left over 65,000 customers without power at its peak. Governor Dan McKee acknowledged the challenges faced by utility crews, stating that Rhode Island Energy was unprepared for the storm’s impact. “They got caught flat-footed,” he said, emphasizing the need for better preparation for future events.

As recovery efforts continue, McKee expressed frustration with the company’s failure to provide timely updates to customers about power restoration. Many struggled to report outages and track their status, which made the holiday weekend particularly difficult for families. “We know that it impacted the 4th of July for many people in the state of Rhode Island,” McKee said.

Despite the outages, the governor recognized the crews who worked long hours to restore power. As of Monday afternoon, only 160 customers remained without electricity, down from over 60,000. McKee indicated that he is in discussions with Rhode Island Energy’s president to improve the company’s response and customer support in the wake of the storm.

In a statement, Rhode Island Energy acknowledged the technical issues they experienced during the storm but assured that crews were still able to restore power safely and efficiently. They expressed commitment to reviewing the events to prevent future issues.