Major Snowstorms This Winter Create Havoc in Southern New England

The weather in Southern New England this year is being deemed as the worst winter anyone can remember. With the snow continuing to pile up residents are left wondering when will it end? The snow is reeking havoc in a region that is used to snow but not of this magnitude. In fact most towns in New England are well over their average snowfall for the year. A recent article by Reuters states that Boston generally sees about 23" of snow/year. This year Boston is already at 71".

What does all this snowfall mean? It means collapsing roofs (over 70 in Southern New England), closing schools and of course cities and towns going well over budget as a result of snow removal. It means car accidents and danger to the elderly trying to clear off their walkways. Snow of this caliber is dangerous no matter where you live. With rain now taking over, the roads are freezing over making conditions even more dangerous.

Saturday February 5, 2011 brought intense thunderstorms to the region as well. Those heavy rains and lightning are now being blamed for the most recent roofing issue at the Hess Station in Smithfield, RI. According to WPRI.com the roof likely started to give way as a result of the heavy rain coupled with the weight of the snow from previous storms. Luckily no one was hurt.

Numerous schools across the region are also closing in fear that their roofs will collapse giving workers the chance to get as much weight off of the roof as possible. These closings unfortunately are adding to the days of school local children will have to make up at the end of the year or during their normally scheduled vacations. Many parents have already had to take multiple days off due to the school closings.

Local business are also feeling the effects of this winters wrath. Many have had to close for structural integrity issues for their buildings including the Wal-Mart in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Many private businesses also were closed due to concerns with structural integrity. As myfoxboston.com reports, over 70 roof collapses from snow reported .

Another potential problem is major flooding. Rhode Island and Massachusetts saw severe flooding last year and this year might prove to be the same. The months ahead may prove that this horrific winter will bring problems for quite sometime. With so many rivers and waterways and all of this melting snow it almost seems inevitable that the floods will come giving those of us in Southern New England yet another weather related issue to worry about.