Windy Forecast Means Library Closes at 5 p.m. Wednesday

Strong gusts of winds that could reach upwards of 50 mph Wednesday evening into Thursday has compelled the staff at the East Greenwich Free Library to close its doors at 5 p.m. today.

The closure is due to continued concerns about the structural integrity of the belfry at next door St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Though the church is working on a long term fix to ease concerns once and for all, town officials have been keeping a close eye on the weather for weeks and closing down portions of Church and Peirce Streets whenever wind speeds reach 30 mph or higher.

Since the first closure last month, the library has opened and closed several times depending on the forecast.

The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood and Wind Advisory in advance of the storm approaching from the southeast. The storm, once known as Hurricane Patricia and the most powerful storm to ever form in the Western Hemisphere, is now a massive spread of rain and gusty wind that has drenched the country from Texas on upward.

Rhode Island will get 1- to 2-inches of rain but here at the library, the concern is wind.

Fortunately, the winds should be calm by Oct. 30, which is when the library is hosting a celebration and ribbon cutting for their new reading terrace and entryway.

The belfry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church has been in danger of collapse ever since it was struck by lightning during a powerful storm that caused damage across the state in July, town officials said.

The town has been working with the church’s structural engineer and a long-term repair plan is in the works. In the short term, at the suggestion of the town, St. Luke’s will be installing temporary shoring to reinforce the belfry.

National Grid has also been staying abreast of the situation because three transformers are located right outside the church.