ROANOKE, Va. – This winter storm has officially hit the Roanoke Valley. All flights in and out of Roanoke Saturday night and Sunday have been cancelled.
Earlier Saturday, we caught up with people as they made some last-minute shopping trips before they hunkered down.
At Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke, the parking lot was packed as people rushed inside stores ahead of the storm.
Empty shelves were already visible in some aisles. Staples such as milk, creamer, eggs and frozen pizza were running low at several stores. Pet food and kitty litter were also in short supply.
Some shoppers said they were only picking up a few final items, while others filled their carts with cases of water and snacks as they prepared to stay home during the storm.
“I’m going to get some steaks and I’m going to get some drinks. That’s pretty much it,” said Mike Bradbury, a last-minute shopper. “I am ready. My food is packed at the house and I’ve got everything. I’m ready for some football tomorrow and that’s about it.”
Dylan Carter and Dakota Hurst grabbed a few items from the store, but said their plans would go on despite the weather.
“We’re celebrating a friend’s party, still trying to do that even with the storm coming,” said Carter.
“We’re ready to hunker down there,” Hurst said.
At Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, all flights in and out were cancelled for Saturday night and Sunday morning after the snow started falling.
Crews with Roanoke Excavating were working around the clock to prepare and respond to the storm.
“If it was warmer, we’d have some of that salt helping out with the application and the plowing there,” said the company’s owner, Garrett Harris.
He said crews have been preparing for days ahead of the storm and will be working into next week.
“We’ve been working since Monday, since we heard that the snow was in the forecast. We’ve been getting crews ready, getting equipment staged. I think we have 11 skid steers out running about through the town. So it’s crazy,” said Harris.
Officials say impacts from the storm are already being seen across the region. Residents are urged to stay weather-aware and stay home if possible.