A winter wallop: Can you dig it?

As residents of Lynn and surrounding communities dug out from up to 2 ? feet of snow dumped on them in Tuesday?s blizzard, public works officials urged them to stay off the streets until plows complete their job, and clear the sidewalks around their residences.?Please don?t throw snow in the streets; we?ve got to keep them open for public safety,” said Revere DPW Director Donald Goodwin.Goodwin, Lynn DPW Commissioner Andrew Hall and their counterparts in neighboring communities underscored how Tuesday?s snow-clearing efforts focused on keeping main streets clear for emergency vehicles.As the blizzard tapered down Tuesday night – and local districts called off school for a second-straight day today – clearing efforts with municipal plows and private contractors were expanding to side streets that weren?t plowed earlier in the day.In Lynn, Hall said trucks will haul snow off streets and dump it on the city-owned vehicle impound lot off the Lynnway. Overseeing his first storm-clearing effort since he became commissioner, Hall sent 250 heavy city trucks and contract plow drivers onto city streets to battle the blizzard.As of 4 p.m., Tuesday, he had requested state assistance in sending additional heavy vehicles to Lynn to aid with clearing efforts.?Please be patient, sit tight, we will get all the snow removed,” Hall said.City assistant parking director Robert Stilian said tow truck drivers contracted by the city towed 200 vehicles off city streets to a lot on Federal Street. The parking ban ordered by Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy Monday afternoon subjected drivers who parked on local streets to a $50 ticket and $155 in initial towing charges.Hall urged residents to check cityoflynn.net frequently through Thursday to get updated parking ban details.City emergency manager director Thomas Hines urged residents to take a few practical steps to help neighbors get safely through the blizzard and its aftermath.?Please help clear snow around fire hydrants, check on elderly neighbors, check carbon monoxide detectors and be careful around machinery – especially snowblowers,” he said. “Remember, people have heart attacks while shoveling. Take your time and rest frequently.”Goodwin estimated it will take “a couple of days” for Revere city workers to clear away snow and make most, if not all, streets driveable.?The guys are working very, very hard. Given the magnitude of the storm, I?m happy with their performance and with the public for staying off the streets,” he said.Marblehead Police reported closing the causeway for four hours at high tide Tuesday morning due to high winds and waves and debris coming on the roadway. Front Street was also closed for the early-morning high tide. Police said that, as always during major storms, public works and public safety crews were stationed at the Eastern Yacht Club. As of 5:30 p.m. crews had not closed the causeway again.Swampscott DPW Director Gino Cresta said that crews were continuing to plow throughout Tuesday night trying to keep the streets clear as the storm wound down.?Obviously the roads are very narrow and then once it stops we will begin hauling the snow away,” Cresta said, adding he didn?t expect that before Wednesday afternoon. “We?re going to keep plowing and pushing it back and opening up the streets.”Cresta said splashover from waves on King?s Beach led to some minor flooding at high tide Tuesday morning, but the afternoon?s high tide passed without any reports of flooding.Saugus DPW Director Brendan O?Regan said Saugus received about two feet of snow, as expected.?One of the good things about this storm is since it started late, it allowed us time to go on the route, plow the main roads and search for motor vehicles that didn?t adhere to the parking ban,” O?Regan said. “The snow itself is lighter snow, but the strong winds and cars still parked on the roadway make it challenging.”O?Regan said the main roads in Saugus were in good shape by Tuesday afternoon, but the side roads needed