Hurricane Sandy Updates – Friday, Nov. 2

5:26 p.m. – Early evening update time.

• Governor Lincoln Chafee has formally requested that the federal government declare Rhode Island a major disaster area, and release federal funds for cleanup and restoration. The request in PDF form is now attached to this story. Preliminary damage claims include six structures in Narragansett at a value of $1.4 million, and 13 properties in South Kingstown at $1.09 million. Westerly has already reported $11 million in property damage.
• According to a press release from National Grid, 97 percent of Rhode Island has power as of noon Friday. The main trouble spot remains near Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, where the damage is extensive. All other customers are expected to be back online by midnight, unless homeowner / property repairs are needed first.
• From The Providence Journal, a Narragansett polling location has been moved because of Sandy.
• And finally, not exactly a hurricane note, but mentioning it because you might have forgotten: Scouting for Food resumes this weekend! Make sure you fill up the bags for retrieval on Saturday, as the Boy Scouts normally start going out around 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

12:17 p.m. – Hi folks, here are the news releases we’ve been sent today and late last night about Hurricane Sandy cleanup and after-effects.

• Governor Lincoln Chafee will be hosting a press conference at 12:30 p.m. with federal officials to update the state on relief efforts. It’s likely the press conference will be carried live by the local news outlets.
• According to National Grid’s online outage map, outages are now mostly down to pockets of Chariho, South Kingstown and Narragansett, as opposed to widespread areas. Power restoration to more than 99 percent of Rhode Island is expected by midnight tonight.
• RIEMA officials said that teams from FEMA have begun to tour and assess damaged communities and areas.
• If you’re in Chariho and reading this… The Town of Richmond is offering emergency services at the Chariho Plaza near McDonald’s, and at Richmond Elementary School.
• A boil water advisory is still in effect for the Camp Fuller water system. The boil water advisory has been lifted for the Charlestown and North Kingstown Cumberland Farms, Shady Acres Nursing Home in Exeter, Chimera in Chepachet, the Hopkinton Industrial Park and the Stone House in Little Compton.
• Citizens Bank announced that low interest loans are available for homeowners on the East Coast affected by the hurricane. The bank also announced that it would donate $100,000 to local nonprofits and $50,000 to the Red Cross.

We will pass along more updates as we get them. Like our previous galleries and stories, you can upload your own photos and PDFs.

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