Schools Closed in Bristol-Warren; Most Power Restored

As day breaks this morning with sun and increasing clouds — which are expected to result in a 90-percent chance of rain this afternoon — Bristol and Warren residents are beginning to emerge from the impact of the Blizzard of 2013.

Schools remained closed today, including all of the public schools under the and Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Bristol.

Roger Williams University announced on Sunday that classes at the Bristol campus would be cancelled today, though law classes in Bristol will resume at noon. The Providence campus will operate on its normal schedule, according to a notice on the University website.

National Grid reported that about 1,500 households remained without power as of 8 pm Sunday night, including 273 scattered around Bristol and just over 1,300 in Warren.

At the height of the storm, more than 22,000 customers lost power, according to the utility company.

The loss of power — which meant no heat for many people — was the worst part of the storm for many readers who posted comments on the Bristol-Warren Patch Facebook page.

Eve Tobin Caron wrote:

The worst part for my family was weathering the storm and losing power. We live in a not entirely insulated cottage on hope bay so the cold came in real fast. By Saturday morning you could see your breath in our house. Thankfully we found a hotel to take our family of 6 and a dog for sat night. And we got power back on 3pm Sunday. It's been a cold couple of days.

Lorine Maria Blouin explained:

I have never appreciated electricity more than today. The house was cold and, at night, dark. This is much easier to handle in summer. This storm was a good lesson in being better prepared.

Lisa Andrade added:

No heat was the hardest part, we've dug ourselves out before, but sleeping two nights in a house that was only 42 degrees was the awful.

In both towns, officials opened heat shelters late Saturday, with about 40 Warren residents using the Kickemuit Middle School shelter, according to Warren Police Lt. Roland Brule.

Brule also said that the town had moved the shelter to the Senior Center, and would keep it open for anyone who may still need it.

What was the biggest impact of the blizzard on you? Have your say in the comments below — and use the Upload button to add your photos and video to this article.