RIEMA: stay home during height of storm

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is using extreme caution in dealing with Wednesday's expected winter storm.

RIEMA says 112 state vehicles are ready to treat the roads, and 350 private vehicles are on standby.

Crews began pre-treating highways sometime after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

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The agency will provide an update on its storm response Wednesday at 4 p.m., which will stream live on WPRI.com.

Also, 270 National Guard humvees are on standby, as well as 2,600 Rhode Island National Guard soldiers and airmen.

Emergency officials say they are most concerned about the timing of the storm, because it threatens to create dangerous conditions on the roads during normally traffic-heavy times.

That's why the RIEMA i s asking employers who decide to send workers home early to stagger their release. 

Officials say many of these precautions were put into place as a direct result of the infamous 2007 storm known as the "December Debacle," which caused drivers to be stranded on local highways for hours, and children to be stranded on school buses in some cases until 11 p.m.