From the City…With the season’s latest winter blast less than 12 hours away, city Public Works and Parks and Recreation crews are ready for whatever falls from the sky tonight and Tuesday. With one of the most state-of-the-art monitoring stations, city officials will be watching weather and road conditions starting tomorrow and lasting through the storm. New monitors have been placed at various locations such as: Ridge/McIntire, Route 250 East, and along Emmett Street, that allow crews at Public Works headquarters to know the road temperatures and whether that specific area is reporting icy conditions. Also, many intersections now have emergency backup power on traffic lights in the event there are power outages. During the last ice storm in January, several intersections in town benefited from this new technology, staying on while police were able to handle more calls for service from the numerous accidents happening in town.

“If the weather produces ice as currently predicted, we would like citizens to limit travel if at all possible and clean ice and snow off their cars before traveling ,” says Ric Barrick, the Director of Communications for the City. “We take every storm very seriously. As with the storm earlier this month, we are likely to see a period where some of the secondary roads will become ice covered before crews have a chance to treat them.”

The city Public Works Department maintains two 40-person crews working 12-hour shifts during most storms. The City maintains its own fleet of vehicles with 24 slow plows all with GPS guidance equipment to allow officials to monitor the progress of snow removal. County roads are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Major thoroughfares are always treated first but secondary residential streets will be handled as soon as crews can get to them. Please avoid parking on the street prior to any snow event. Vehicles will be towed that are parked illegally. City ordinance requires all residents and business owners to clean sidewalks within 12 hours of the end a snow event.

Some important winter safety tips provided by the City of Charlottesville follows:

Prepare Now for Approaching Winter Weather

The severe winter weather forecast to arrive in the Charlottesville area late Monday holds the possibility of icy roads, downed power lines. Virginians need to prepare now by collecting emergency supplies, making a communication plan and listening for local information.

• An emergency supply kit includes, among other things, essential items to last at least three days such as a battery-powered radio and extra batteries, food and water, flashlights, a first aid kit, blankets and medications.

• Making a communication plan involves discussing the hazards and threats for your area and what your family would do during an actual emergency. As you create your plan, decide on a meeting place if your family cannot return home, designate an out-of-town friend or relative as a point-of-contact and plan for the specific needs of your household, such as an evacuation shelter for pets or transportation for medical equipment.
• Before, during and after a disaster, it is critical that you listen for the most local, up-to-date information from emergency officials. Local media will convey instructions from local, state and federal government partners, such as details about evacuation orders, how to safely stay where you are and when the emergency has passed.
• Portable generators and kerosene heaters can pose serious health hazards if used improperly. Follow these guidelines to stay safe and warm:
• To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, operate generators outdoors only in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from home air intakes, and protected from direct exposure to rain.
• Never use a generator indoors or in attached garages.
• Keep heaters at least three feet away from furniture, blankets and other flammable objects. Never set the heater on a chair or table. It should sit only on an uncarpeted floor.
• Never substitute one type of fuel for another.
• Keep an eye on your heater at all times while it is running. Shut it off before you go to bed or when you leave the house. Never run a portable heater longer than the manufacturer recommends.
• Wait for the heater to cool before refueling it. Kerosene has a low flash point and might cause a fire if it comes into contact with a hot surface.

Additional winter tips:

• If your water supply comes from a well with an electric water pump, fill containers with water for drinking and cooking.
• Install a smoke detector in every bedroom and one on every level of your home. Check the batteries monthly and replace them annually.
• Make sure that outdoor pets have adequate shelter, unfrozen water and food.
  Driving is most dangerous when the temperature is at or under 32° F. If the road is wet, ice is likely, especially on bridges, ramps and overpasses. Find current road conditions by calling 511 or visiting www.VirginiaDOT.org.
• Even when roads have been treated with salt and/or sand, drivers should reduce their speed and leave a safe driving distance between themselves and other vehicles on the road.

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