Mayor Parker & Managing Director Thiel Declare Snow Emergency in Philadelphia Over Friday at 7 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Managing Director Adam Thiel, and Clean and Green Initiative Director Carlton Williams announced tonight that the City’s Snow Emergency declaration has been lifted, effective 7 p.m. today, Friday, January 19. This means that vehicles can once again park on Snow Emergency routes. If your vehicle was relocated during the Snow Emergency,  call 215-686-SNOW to find it. Do not call 911. 

“For the last several days, the City of Philadelphia and all its departments, as well as our partner agencies, have worked collaboratively in a united front with one mission: to be ahead of this first major snowstorm in Philly in several years,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “While we’re not out of the woods and much work remains to be done tonight and through the weekend, I can confidently say, Philly has met this winter weather challenge and passed it – together. This is what One Philly looks like.” 

Managing Director Thiel, who directed the City’s emergency response along with the Mayor and Clean and Green Director Williams, said that City emergency workers were now transitioning out of the response phase of the storm and into the recovery phase. 

“We stayed ahead of this storm, under the Mayor’s leadership, and you can start seeing the results,” Managing Director Adam Thiel said this evening during a press conference at the City’s Emergency Operations Center. “We’ve made a lot of progress cleaning our streets, but there is still a lot of work left to do to get things back to normal. Every agency, city, state and private entities, are doing their part to keep Philadelphia safe and operable, and we want to thank Philadelphians for doing their part to keep each other safe.” 

“Streets Department continues its snow plowing operations and crews would work through the night to clear more roads and streets,” Director Carlton Williams said. “Primary and secondary streets have been made passable. Crews plowed the roads throughout the day and are focusing their efforts on servicing smaller residential streets that have not yet been plowed.” Williams estimated that 75 percent of city streets have already been plowed at least once. 

Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing tonight, and icier conditions on roads are expected. 

Mayor Parker, Managing Director Thiel, Director Williams and other Philadelphia officials, including Office of Emergency Management Director Dominick Mireles, urged Philadelphians to do the following this evening and into tomorrow, Saturday, January 20:

• It’s going to go below freezing Friday night. Roads may get icier. Please – stay home.
• If you absolutely must go out, be careful and drive slowly.
• Give the plows and other workers plenty of space to do their jobs. They will work through the night Friday and into the morning.
• Be patient with one another and our workforce – they’re out there working hard to protect you.
• Be sure to check on others to make sure everyone is doing ok during the storm.
• If you’re out shoveling, and you’ve got an older neighbor, shovel their sidewalk, if you can. Be kind to one another.

Reminders:

• Do not shovel or plow snow into the street. This practice is illegal, unsafe and hinders snow operations. The penalty for violating this can range from $50 to $300.
• Clear a sidewalk path at least 36 inches wide within six hours of the end of the storm.

Acting Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner Craig Murphy reminded residents to exercise caution with home heating in these cold temperatures. Murphy added these fire safety tips:

• Check in with your neighbors to make sure they’re ok – especially those who are homebound or elderly.

• Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re working. Candles can be a hazard, so make sure you have flashlights on hand in case your power goes out. If you use a fireplace, open your chimney flue and make sure it’s clear of any snow. If your flue is blocked, do not use your fireplace. Keep heaters plugged directly into the wall, not a power strip, and at least three feet from any belongings. Keep all heaters, no matter what kind you use, out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Office of Homeless Services: During the snow emergency, after-hours intake centers were open 24/7 to assist anyone who is seeking emergency housing shelter. Daytime intake centers were closed due to the snow emergency. Anyone seeking shelter or anyone concerned about someone who appears to be living outside during freezing temperatures should call the Outreach Hotline, 215-232-1984. Someone who needs shelter may also go in person to one of the following after-hours intake centers:  

Single men:
Mike Hinson Resource Center  
1701 W. Lehigh Avenue 

Single women:
Gaudenzia House of Passage  
111 N. 49th Street  

Families:
Red Shield Family Residence
715 N. Broad Street  

Stay Informed: 

• Tune to local news for weather updates.
• Sign up for emergency alerts and weather updates from ReadyPhiladelphia by texting READYPHILA to 888-777, or visiting phila.gov/ready.
• For more winter weather tips, visit the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management online at phila.gov/ready.
• For official updates from the City, follow @PhilaOEM on Twitter or Facebook.

• Other City Twitter accounts to follow for information: @PhiladelphiaGov, @Philly311 and @PhilaStreets.