Chafee: Stay off the roads

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) – Gov. Lincoln Chafee on Friday urged Rhode Island residents to stay off the roads and stay inside as the state prepares for a blizzard that could bring up to 30 inches of snow by Saturday morning.

Chafee’s comments came during a noon press conference at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Cranston where he declared a state of emergency.

• StormBeat: Minute-by-minute coverage:

“The big message here is stay off of the the roads,” Michael Lewis, the state’s director of transportation, said. “Anybody that is out on the road, be very careful in your driving. The plows will keep the lanes open, certainly for emergency vehicles.”

A National Grid representative told WPRI that there are no reports of power outages, the company has more than 1,000 employees on the standby as the storm worsens.