A Winter Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service in Wilmington will be in effect from tonight until 7 a.m. Friday in Champaign and Clark counties. The watch calls for possible accumulations of 4 to 7 inches of snow and one-tenth to four-tenths of an inch of ice.
In a release, the Clark County Emergency Management Agency and Board of Clark County Commissioners offered a few tips to prepare for extreme weather.
- Avoid travel if possible, and make sure to have an emergency supply kit with food, water and blankets in the car in case you have to be on the road
- If using portable generators, don’t use them inside your house, in your garage, or near doors, vents, windows or sleep areas
- Charge your phone and other devices ahead of time in case of an outage
- Prepare the proper supplies to deal with winter conditions, including rock salt or pet-friendly ice melting products, snow shovels and other snow removal tools
Clark County EMA Director Michelle Clements-Pitstick suggested that area residents make a family emergency plan, update their emergency supply kit and watch the forecast from trusted sources.
“We urge residents to begin preparations as soon as possible to keep their families safe if we’re faced with future interruptions later this week,” she said.
Springfield’s Service Department is making sure its trucks are ready for the roads this week, with roughly 25 available, city service director Chris Moore said. Truck drivers have also worked to familiarize themselves with their snow routes.
The service department is tasked with snow removal, street maintenance, and flood barricading during inclement weather in the city, and it will adjust its plan of inclement weather approach based on “what is falling out of the sky,” Moore said.
“We’re not panicking. We have a very well, cross-trained group of people here,” Moore said. “We try to make general emergency planning a part of our operations.”
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is also preparing for the winter storm. ODOT said in a press release that the forecast for southern Ohio shows “serious potential” for heavy rain that could cause flooding in some areas before the storm transitions into freezing rain or snowfall. ODOT reminded motorists to never drive through high water or around barricades.
Travel is “highly discouraged” Wednesday through Friday, the state’s transportation department said.
“During winter storms, ODOT strives to keep roads passable to help ensure that emergency services and essential workers can safely reach their destinations,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks in the release. “But even with our crews out in full force, roads will likely be snow and ice-covered, and it will take much longer to travel. Once the storm moves out, our crews will be able to make progress toward getting traffic moving at regular speed.”
Both Clark and Champaign counties are served by ODOT District 7.
The Springfield area’s electric provider, Ohio Edison, said its in-house team of meteorologists have been monitoring the incoming storm for several days. FirstEnergy spokesperson Lauren Siburkis said that the energy company will activate a storm response plan in the event of severe weather, tapping into additional resources from contractors and sister utility providers to assist “the hardest hit-areas.”
“The impact of a winter storm remains unclear until it hits the region, and our utility workers always prepare for the worst-case scenario and are ready to roll if the weather does cause power outages,” she said.
Siburkis said that the weather elements in this week’s forecast, like ice and freezing rain, have the potential to cause “significant damage” due to the weight of ice buildup on power lines and equipment. In response, Ohio Edison is working to boost staffing levels though contractors to ensure a timely response to any potential outages that do occur.
Siburkis said Ohio Edison customers can do several things to prepare for the winter weather.
Customers can subscribe to email and text message alerts on FirstEnergy’s website to receive weather updates in advance of major storms. They can also use two-way text messaging to report outages, request updates on restoration efforts, and make other inquiries about their electric accounts. Customers can also report power outages by calling 1-888-544-4877 or clicking the “Report Outage” link on FirstEnergy’s website.
Ohio Edison also suggests that customers should also know where the manual release lever of their electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it.
“In the event you lose power, you’ll likely want to get your vehicle out of the garage to safely charge your phones and devices or leave your home,” she said.
Siburkis also urged people to always stay far away from any downed- or low-hanging power line. People should always assume they are energized and dangerous and call 911 to report them immediately.
