DANVILLE, Va. – As winter weather approaches, officials are urging residents to stay off roads this weekend while emergency crews prepare for potential hazards ranging from icy roads to power outages.
“I have to eat and get things from a store. I can get food and cat food and people and survival items, so I’m doing it all at one store and taking it an hour at a time,” said James Martin, a Danville resident, as locals flocked to grocery stores ahead of the storm.
For those who must venture out, AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean emphasizes that normal travel times will be extended. “You’re going to be going slower than normal. So, the normal commute, the normal trip is going to take much longer,” Dean said.
Drivers should avoid using cruise control on highways, as it can lead to dangerous situations. “The car gets confused. It actually wants to spin those tires a little bit harder to try to get the car up to the speed that you’re setting it at,” Dean explained.
The Danville Public Works Department has positioned plows and is preparing brine solutions for road treatment. Jonathan Sharp, Division Director of Streets for Danville Public Works, highlighted the particular challenges of freezing rain.
“Freezing rain can really lock down that snow onto the road so the biggest challenge will be keeping up with keeping the main roads clear during the event,” Sharp said. “If it’s mostly ice, we’re looking at treating with salt or sand, rather than plowing, because you can’t plow ice off the road.”
The department will prioritize primary routes, including US 58, Piney Forest Road, and Central Boulevard. More than 20 plows will be deployed for road-clearing operations.
Danville, the only locality in Virginia that operates its own utilities, has brought in additional crews from Ohio to assist with potential power restoration efforts. Officials have developed a strategic approach to handling outages.
“We’ll be addressing the outages from biggest to smallest. So, we will try to get the greatest number of people back as quickly as possible from the largest outages down to the single outages,” said Jason Grey, Director of Utilities for Danville.
The city’s meter system automatically detects power outages, eliminating the need for residents to report them. Both Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy have also confirmed their readiness for the storm.
SAFETY TIPS FOR DRIVERS
For those who must drive during the storm, officials recommend:
- Watching for hazards including stalled cars, downed trees, and power lines
- Allowing extra stopping distance due to slick conditions
- Warming up vehicles for only about 30 seconds before driving
- Ensuring proper ventilation and snow clearance around exhaust pipes when warming up vehicles to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning