South Kingstown declares local disaster emergency after Feb. 22 blizzard; council praises staff, seeks reimbursement

The South Kingstown Town Council on Feb. 26 adopted an executive order declaring a local disaster emergency for the Feb. 22, 2026 winter storm, after town staff detailed multi-agency response efforts and public-safety strains.

Town Manager Jim Merrick told the council the storm produced whiteout conditions and "over 3 feet of snow," leaving state plows unable to clear Route 1 and Route 138, hampering access to South County Hospital. He said police, fire and EMS vehicles stalled in the storm, that EMS and fire companies could not operate normally for several hours and that the town staged towing and plowing support and opened a shelter at Broad Rock Middle School.

Merrick described a surge of carbon-monoxide incidents tied to generators and clogged vents and said town staff and volunteer crews transported about 15 people to the Broad Rock shelter at the height of the event. He credited the Rhode Island National Guard, Rhode Island Department of Transportation and private contractors for critical assistance and said the town expects to seek up to 75% reimbursement for eligible costs.

Councilors raised concerns about the scope and duration of emergency powers, with Councilor S9 citing memories of extended emergency authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Merrick clarified the local declaration covered a short, exigent period during the storm and noted the declaration had already been lifted; he gave the council the storm'start and lift times in his remarks.

The council voted to approve the emergency declaration after brief discussion. Council President MacEntee thanked town staff, police, fire, Public Works and volunteers for their response, and several members lauded the town's communications and social-media updates during the storm.

The declaration allows the town to coordinate resources quickly during acute events and positions the town to apply for reimbursement from state and federal sources. The council did not extend additional emergency powers at the meeting; Merrick said staff will return with any follow-up financial details and documentation for potential reimbursement claims.

What happens next: with the declaration approved, staff will finalize cost documentation for potential state/federal reimbursement and report back to the council on recovery costs and any follow-up operations.