ROANOKE, Va – All eyes are on the forecast as agencies across southwest Virginia prepare for what could be a weekend very impacted by winter weather.
What happens before the storm can be just as important as what happens during the storm, according to Jason Bond with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
“We’re going to be ready to deal with whatever Mother Nature brings us but we really ask folks to, you know, have a plan,” VDOT Salem Communications Manager Jason Bond said.
But the chilly temperatures southwest Virginia is seeing ahead of this weekend’s weather maker can complicate things.
“The issue for us is really the temperatures when it gets to be below freezing and so cold. We can’t pretreat so in many counties, the storm we’re not going to be able to pretreat unless the conditions, really warm-up right before the storm,” Bond said.
Agencies like the Troutville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department rely on VDOT cameras to monitor road conditions.
“We’ve got TV monitors essentially throughout the station where it’s actively monitoring our RV cameras from 81, which is in our response area as well as active radar, that kind of flips back and forth. And so we can glance up at any moment and see anything that’s going on,” Troutville Fire Chief Zach Beckner
Chief Zach Beckner says it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and when in doubt, stay home.
“The time to prepare is now so you don’t have to go out we don’t want folks out on the road. You know, we want to make sure that you get to the grocery store you get those prescriptions or anything that you need, prior to when the storm actually starts,” Beckner said.
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