Storm Nemo brought more than two feet of snow to York County over the weekend, causing widespread cancellations Saturday and dangerous driving conditions.
Bob Bohlmann, spokesman for York County Emergency Management Agency, advised people Saturday to stay home.
“The more (people) that stay off the roads the better,” he said.
Bohlmann said there were some street closures in coastal areas, where roads were flooded.
Bohlmann also advised people with monitor-style heaters to make sure the outside vents were clear to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Biddeford Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Duross said that five people were transported to Maine Medical Center with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning Saturday. According to Duross, a call came in around 1:45 p.m. Saturday from 49 Green St., a single-family home. The residents had begun to feel ill and had flu-like symptoms, he said. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and found the carbon monoxide alarm going off. The high carbon monoxide level in the home was due to a blocked vent to the propane furnace, said Duross.
Duross said the fire department advises a 4-by-4-foot area be cleaned out around outside furnace vents.
At mid-day Saturday, Mayor Maura Herlihy said Sanford had fared “pretty well.”
“I think that is due to early preparation and a good plow crew,” she said.
The public works crew is reduced because of budget woes that resulted in layoffs a couple of years ago, so Herlihy said sidewalks will take a few days to get plowed.
“People should be careful out there,” she said. “Drivers watch for pedestrians and pedestrians should walk smart or stay home.”
Saco Public Works Director Patrick Fox said Monday morning there was some roadway damage to streets in Camp Ellis from the storm, though the city did not have an estimated cost yet for repairs. He said there was some limited damage to the front of homes, but he didn’t believe any homes were washed out.
“We feared it would be like the Patriot’s Day Storm (in 2007), and it was no where close to that,” he said.
Postal service was canceled on Saturday, according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Postal Service. Now that the storm is over, the postal service asked people to keep walkways and sidewalks clear. Postal carriers are not required to deliver to areas with safety issues, such as icy steps, which can create “perilous conditions,” according to the statement.
While many people hunkered down at home, they stayed connected to others online through social media sites. Facebook was flooded Saturday with pictures of cars buried in snow drifts and views through screen doors of snow banks against homes.
Harris Farm of Dayton, on its Facebook page, had a picture of snow in one of the barns and commented that it took a farmer an hour in a plow truck to get a quarter-mile to the barn at 5 a.m. that morning.
Many local businesses, like Fernleaf Bakery in Saco, announced that they were closed for the day Saturday.
“We found Nemo ”“ and we’re staying home,” the owners posted on their Facebook page.
By late afternoon Saturday, after the snow had stopped and the winds had died down, a few people were out in downtown Saco with shovels and snow blowers clearing entrance ways to their businesses.
Rapid Ray’s employee Matt Legendre was raking snow off the restaurant’s roof.
Legendre, a snowboarder, said he was happy to see so much snow and was taking the clean up work in stride.
“I’m pretty pumped for it,” he said. “If you want to play, you have to work for it.”
One Saco downtown business that was open during the day Saturday was Vic and Whit’s sandwich and wine shop. Inside, owners Mark and Beth Johnston were hosting a wine tasting of selections from the Mediterranean.
“All of our participants have walked here,” said Beth Johnston.
“We never close,” said Mark Johnston, who is also the city’s mayor and lives just a few blocks away from the store. He said he did open at 11 a.m., a few hours late, because he had to deal with snow removal.
“Our customers are pioneers,” he said.
Whether there’s one inch or more than two feet of snow, it won’t deter them, he said.
On Sunday, many people were still cleaning up the after-effects of Storm Nemo. And businesses like Fernleaf Bakery announced they were once again open and welcoming customers. On Facebook, Harris Farm posted a picture of one of its cross country ski trails, which were open for outdoor enthusiasts.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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