LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - A winter storm with heavy snow, breezy winds and frigid temperatures has its track set for West Central Ohio. At ODOT District 1 Headquarters in Lima, state preparation is well underway.
"We're putting all our wing plows on, our belly plows. Obviously, making sure all of the trucks are ready. We spent the early part of the week here ordering additional salt into our facilities. We also topped off all of our brine tanks. We will rotate all of our drivers on 12-hour shifts as the event begins," says Rod Nuveman, Highway Management Administrator, ODOT District 1.
At the Allen County Engineer's facility on North Sugar Street, crews were performing truck maintenance and loading the beds with salt. They, too, will be manning 12-hour shifts as the wind and bitterly cold temperatures may prove extra challenging during and after the storm.
At the Allen County Engineer's facility on North Sugar Street, crews were performing truck maintenance and loading the beds with salt.
"We take care of county roads and township roads as well. We work very closely with the townships, and we help them out as well. Temperatures, the way they are, obviously, salt is not going to work very well nor are we going to want to apply much salt because it's just going to catch more snow and cause more drifting. And obviously, visibility is going to be way down. This could possibly be a storm that we chase around for a couple days depending on the wind and temperatures," says Eric Burgei, Roadway Assistant Superintendent, Allen County Engineer.
In Lima, city crews were preparing all of their 11 trucks ahead of the snow. Lima's Deputy Public Works Director, Warner Roach, says the city's salt supply is in good shape. With snowfall potentially to exceed 4 inches, Roach reminds Lima residents to move their cars in accordance to the city's snow emergency policy.
"That's very important. We'd like for them to do it and not wait until there's 4 inches on the ground. Park to one side of the street: odd days, odd side of the street; even days, even side of the street. Because if they don't, there's a possibility we won't get down your street to plow your streets so you can get out," says Warner Roach, Deputy Public Works Director, City of Lima.
Roach adds the city will address main roads first then secondary residential streets. However, all 3 state, county and city departments strongly advise people to stay off the roads as the snow falls.
