A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 7 a.m. Friday for Butler and Warren counties, issued by the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The watch calls for possible accumulations of 4 to 7 inches of snow and one-tenth to four-tenths of an inch of ice.
Butler County Engineer Greg Wilkens, who oversees the pre-treating and shoveling for a large portion of the county, said the mix of precipitation makes it hard to effectively pretreat the roads, because brine will wash away in the rain and salt doesn’t respond well to bitter cold. But they are prepared and he urged everyone “just be patient.”
“All our hands are on deck at this point in time if this thing stays extended, we typically will be moving into some of the office staff that drive too, which is pretty routine anymore,” Wilkens said. “My best advice is stay off the road, give our drivers the latitude to do their job.”
Wilkens said they have plenty of supplies on hand in terms of road salt, brine and other treatments and those will be deployed according to the conditions. He is responsible for 266 “centerline miles” on county roads; his department does not cover city streets or subdivisions, interstates or state routes.
Once the heavy weather starts they will have two shifts of 19 employees working to treat and plow 16 routes countywide.
Other communities are also gearing up for the worst. Fairfield Public Works Director Ben Mann said they have nearly 4,000 tons of salt and about 12,000 gallons of calcium chloride.
“We are expecting to operate on 12-hour shifts starting late tomorrow evening but we’ll adapt if the weather forecast changes,” Mann said.
Middletown Public Works Director Scott Tadych said his crews are ready to go, but to make fighting the storm easier “we do request residents park off the street to the extent possible Thursday and Friday.”
Liberty Twp. also is ready.
“As with all other weather related events we are fully staffed and will work 12-16 hour shifts if needed,” Liberty Twp. Service Director Rick Plummer said. “Salt supplies are full and all trucks have been loaded with Calcium Chloride to help with the de-icing.”
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office will have extra crews on hand to respond to crashes and other snow emergencies.
“We’ll continually watch the forecast, we put extra staff for patrol and dispatch on notice of the potential, so we get kind of a tentative game plan together,” Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer said. “But it’s just like any other battle plan it never survives first contact, you just have to be ready to move on the fly as to whether you call people in or call more people in.”
Dwyer said they will issue warnings if the weather turns treacherous but he can’t remember when, if ever, they have issued a Level 3 alert when everyone except emergency vehicles must stay off the roads.
“That’s an extreme step to take,” he said.
A big concern out of this system is the potential for ice that could cause widespread power outages. That’s why Duke Energy is bringing in 300 extra linemen.
“This one just feels like it’s going to be a tough storm no matter how we slice it,” Sally Thelen, communications manager at Duke Energy, told the Journal-News. “With winds and ice and snow we’re going to have such a variety of precipitation it’s just going to be very challenging.”
She said even if people live in an area where power lines are buried, if a car hits a pole in one area it can knock out power elsewhere on the grid. She also cautioned dangerous road conditions can hamper assessment efforts as they try to get to areas where power is down.
If there are widespread power outages communities have plans to help their residents stay safe and warm. Fairfield Fire Chief Don Bennett, who is acting city manager, said they’ll have extra emergency crews available and they use the American Red Cross when long-term shelter is needed.
West Chester Twp. previously used Lakota schools as temporary shelters and likely will do so again if warranted. Barb Wilson, director of Public Information & Engagement, encouraged people to prepare for the worst.
“We always encourage neighbors to be prepared to stay home under these conditions — the proverbial grocery run for milk, (toilet paper), bread and eggs — make sure your phones are charged and you have batteries in your flashlight,” she said “And look out for one another. If you have an elderly neighbor or just someone on their own who may need help, check in on them and make sure they are OK.”
Nearly all of the communities countywide have websites and social media pages where they plan to communicate with their residents.
Snow Emergency Classifications
LEVEL 1: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be icy. Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.
LEVEL 2: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution.
LEVEL 3: All roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel. No one should be driving during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel or a personal emergency exists. All employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work. Those traveling on the roads may subject themselves to arrest.
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