With a powerful snowstorm on the way, here's how Wareham is getting ready
Shoppers in the aisles of Shaw's preparing for the storm. Photos by Brandy Muz 
Bags of salt outside of the Aubuchon Ace Hardware. 
Many left the stores with bags and carts full of the essentials for the impending storm.
Shoppers in the aisles of Shaw's preparing for the storm. Photos by Brandy Muz
Bags of salt outside of the Aubuchon Ace Hardware.
Many left the stores with bags and carts full of the essentials for the impending storm.
With heavy snowfall expected to begin in the early afternoon, Sunday, Jan. 10 the town of Wareham is in deep preparation mode.
The National Weather Service is predicting over six inches of snow starting Sunday going into Monday. While stores around town are full with patrons looking at their grocery lists and filling up their carts, Wareham Emergency Management is busy ensuring the community is ready to face what is on the way.
Emergency Management Director, Calib LaRue, said more accurate snowfall estimate will come closer to the storm, but preparations are being made nonetheless.
"We use the National Weather Service because they'll give a percentage of snowfall and probabilities," LaRue said. "In our area we're like 80 to 90% probable of getting more than six inches of snow."
A warming center at the Multi-Service Center, 48 Marion Road will be open from Saturday, Jan. 24 to Monday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for those in need to combat dangerously low temperatures.
LaRue said a big risk Wareham faces in any sort of storm is the loss of power. Municipal Maintenance has trimmed trees and prepared power lines to lower the risk of downed lines and branches.
"The biggest thing is people staying off the road. We know with small storms the plows don't stick around as long," he said.
Emergency Management advises residents to keep the streets cleared during the storm to allow the town to clear roads quickly and safely. LaRue said that although the storm will conclude on Monday, the snow will remain in the area due to the cold.
LaRue advises residents to stock up on essentials like water, gas for generators and food. Community members were out readying themselves for the storm like resident Linda Gorman.
Gorman said that while the storm isn't supposed to start until Sunday, a trip planned to New Hampshire had her hitting the shelves early. She was busy Thursday, Jan. 22 at the Marion Road Shaws ensuring her family would be all set.
Stocking up on meat and vegetables for her keto conscious family of five, she said she was well prepared.
"We have a generator, we have shovels and food. We'll be all set," she said.
On the other side of the parking lot, Dartmouth resident Fran Emery was hauling bags of sand into his trunk. With plows on his tractor and truck at home, he said he was ready for what might hit.
Emery uses the sand for his driveway when heavy snowfall is predicted.
"If we get the ice like they're predicting, I spread it out at the end of the driveway so I don't slide out onto the road," he said.
Though the weather is subject to change, Emery said it's important to be prepared no matter the outcome.
"You gotta be ready," he said. "You have to make sure you have gas and food in the house and hopefully it just ends up being a scare tactic and this storm just goes by like it does a lot of the time. But I think this one is real."
For up to date information regarding weather alerts, residents can sign up for ALERT Wareham at wareham.gov. Safety tips for a variety of weather events and emergencies can be found at the the Town of Wareham Website.
