Needham Parents Urged to Exercise Extra Caution this Halloween Following Hurricane Sandy

With Halloween being celebrated with trick or treating by Needham’s children, parents are urged to exercise extra caution in helping to keep their children safe during this post-Hurricane Sandy period where cleanup and power restoration is still being performed.

1. Route planning is very important. Know where your children will be traveling. If possible, walk with them. If they are going out unsupervised, make sure they travel in a group. 

2. For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle and sporting goods stores.

3. Make sure that each person traveling carries a flashlight and to use the flashlight to illuminate the ground in front of them.

4. Teach your children to look, listen and be aware of cars not stopping at corners. Teach your children to stay on the sidewalks and cross only at corners. 

5. Make sure that your children know to stay clear of downed trees and wires.

The above suggestions are made to help ensure that our children are as safe as possible this Halloween.

Message from the Town’s Management Team "Some of the sidewalks and roadways continue to present hazards and debris as a result of Monday's storm. All children who are trick or treating this evening must be extremely careful to avoid downed branches, power lines, and debris. Downed power lines should be considered dangerous.

The utility companies continue to work to clean up the aftermath of the storm, but they will be unable to remove all obstacles that may be in the way before this evening's Halloween traditions and celebration. Parents and children should exercise caution this evening and throughout the rest of the week until everything has been cleared."

For a list of other Halloween safety tips, visit cdc.gov/family/halloween/.