National Grid spokeswoman Debbie Drew said the company is "working hard" to restore service to customers, but it could take hours or days, until electricity is restored throughout the world. National Grid has 477,000 customers in Rhode Island.
The good news for residents of Rhode Island is that forecasters have downgraded the storm to a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm, and the state police said no injuries or deaths were reported.
Wind gusts reached 45 mph and is expected to increase to 70 mph, said Lt. Col. Denis Riel, a spokesman for the Rhode Island National Guard. In addition to the winds, the storm is bringing heavy rains. Up to four inches of rain expected.
"We are affected differently in North Carolina, but we still expect a very significant storm surge in the afternoon," said Melissa Withers, a spokesman for the city of Providence.
Providence Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, a 25-foot high, 3000 meter long building constructed in 1966 to prevent damage to the floodwaters of the city, was closed this morning. Before the barrier was built in downtown Providence was flooded with several feet of water during hurricanes in 1938 and 1954.
Providence officials have not asked to evacuate residents, but residents in areas with at least 16 cities in Rhode Island were asked to leave their homes to seek refuge elsewhere in the voluntary and mandatory evacuations, according to Management Agency of emergency.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in the areas of several coastal cities, including the west, Narragansett and South Kingstown.
Many cities, including Providence, no parking on the street, and all camps in the state are closed.
Power was lost on Sunday morning at the headquarters of the State Police in North Scituate, and the system is running the generator, said Lt. Col. Raymond White, a spokesman for the state police. Occupied by the state police car was damaged when the tree fell to the military is a private road in North Kingstown, says White.
White says flooding has decreased but is rising in the south of the state of coastal areas. All flights on the airline's largest airport of the State, TF Green in Warwick, is canceled, but the airport is open for emergency flights. Airport officials say they expect the aircraft to resume flights Monday morning.
Some universities in Rhode Island to adjust the hours while waiting for the storm. Rhode Island College told students to move to Monday instead of today, Providence College and told some freshmen to arrive on Sunday to come a day later.
Yacht Club in Newport, about 55 ships were removed from the water before the storm to avoid damage, says Rudy Borguet, manager of the club.
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