White Plains is Ready for Halloween

White Plains is welcoming Halloween after the weekend snowstorm, but is warning residents to trick-or-treat with care.

“We are not saying kids shouldn’t go trick-or-treating, but we are asking them to take extra caution,” said Karen Pasquale, senior advisor to White Plains Mayor Tom Roach.

In a press release, Roach warns that parents and children should be wary of and avoid downed power lines that could be hidden by snow, leaves or fallen tree limbs caused by the seven inches of snow that fell on Saturday. Downed wires can be reported to Con Edison at 1-800-752-6633 or at coned.com

If you are going out trick-or-treating be sure to bring a flashlight to better illuminate debris or other hazard; also be sure to dress children in reflective clothing. The White Plains Police Department will have an increased prescence on city streets tonight. Click here for Halloween safety tips from the White Plains Department of Public Safety. 

“The problem with this storm was that there were leaves still on the trees, and the snow was very wet and heavy,” said Pasquale. “The combination caused a lot of branches to come down, and in some cases obstruct or partially obstruct roadways.” 

The fallen trees also knocked down power lines causing thousands of outages. About 1,487 of Con Edison’s 23,854 White Plains customers are currently without power, according to Con Edison’s outage map. Power will be restored by Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 11:59 p.m.

Roach and the White Plains Department of Public Works (DPW) have been working in tandem with Con Edison to remove debris and fix power lines. There were about a dozen locations with downed wires on Monday, causing closures on some streets like Soundview Avenue, Stewart Place and Romar Avenue.

“Probably by next week we’ll start to go around with our crews and chippers to remove the debris,” said Pasquale. “Right now the focus is clearing the debris from the roadways, and pushing them off to the side to ensure that the roadways are passable.”

Pasquale said that the DPW began reconfiguring its trucks on Thursday and Friday from leaf removal to snow removal mode. It could take a crew up to five hours to switch over one truck.

For those who aren’t ready to brave the snowy sidewalks for some candy, the City is holding a Halloween party from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Gillie Park.

“That’s a great option for parents, because it gets kids off of the streets and there’s a lot for them to do at Gillie Park,” said Pasquale. There’s fun things for younger kids to do, as well as a little bit older. It’s an alternative for parents who might no want to go around in the neighborhoods because of the snow and debris.”

Click for more information.

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