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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > November > 18 > Entry
A winter weather warning
With a dusting of snow greeting us all this morning when we stepped out of the house, it seems handy to remind everyone of some warnings issued Nov. 14, when workers from agencies across the county assembled for a unique “snow summit.”
A main focus of the summit was a salt shortage that could cause slicker than normal roads if this winter is severe.
Ohio Department of Transportation Assistant Administrator Diana Clonch blamed the shortage on a late snowstorm last winter drying up supplies, which scared some states into increasing their orders up to 50 percent.
This sent prices up 46 percent in Ohio. ODOT paid $136 per ton for salt in Hamilton County, well above the $62 statewide average.
Because of budget limitations, the state ordered just less than 500,000 tons. This is enough for an average year, Clonch said, but the state has used 700,000 tons on average the last 5 years.
“Are we going to have enough salt this year? Well, a lot of it depends on whether we have a bad winter this year,” Clonch said.
Butler County Engineer’s Office Operations Deputy Scott Bressler said the county is in a better situation than some others.
“We do have a full barn, so we currently have enough on contract and we should have enough to get through the season,” Bresslar said. “There are some counties…I’m not even sure they’re going to get salt this year.”
With elevated safety concerns this year, the summit also included talk on emergency preparedness.
In the past 8 years, a Butler County sheriff has ordered a Level 3 weather emergency three times, according to sheriff’s office Capt. Richard Greer.
For that to happen, “the devil has to be coming to Butler County,” Greer said.
Once was during the Sept. 14 windstorm that knocked out power countywide, and the other two were snow emergencies.
The windstorm taught local officials that few Butler County residents follow emergency preparedness guidelines and have a 72-hour plan, with medicine, food supplies and a heating source to last up to three days, according to Emergency Management Director Bill Turner.
The storm also highlighted the importance of having numerous emergency shelters with backup power throughout the county.
During and immediately after a heavy snowfall, Turner said it’s safer and gets the roads cleared faster if motorists stay inside.
“If you don’t have to be out where the snowplows are running, stay off the roads,” he said.
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