By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Carter County Judge Executive Brandon Burton said that the coming week will be challenging.
“Salt is effective at around 18 degrees and above,” Burton said. “But then when it drops below that you have to worry about it refreezing.”
Burton said that road crews can scrape down the snow and ice, but normally one pass isn’t enough to clear a road, especially when the temperature doesn’t cooperate.
Currently the entire region is under a state emergency, and Burton said Carter County declared a state of emergency as well. Speaking on Sunday, January 25, Burton said the Carter County Courthouse and indeed most businesses would be closed on Monday due to weather.
Travel, he said, was restricted, and anyone who did not have an actual emergency should not be out on the roads.
“Nights and early mornings are going to be treacherous, and people should expect that,” Burton said. “And we are going to be battling this until Wednesday or Thursday for sure.”
Burton said that Carter County residents should just try to stay home and stay warm, and in an emergency call 911.
“We don’t have any power outages right now, so thankfully that isn’t a concern at this time. We have emergency teams and road crews that are prepared to assist,” he said.
There are warming stations on backup, he said. And the warming station in Willard is open.
Another thing that residents of Carter County can do now and throughout the cold months, Burton said, is to keep in contact with your neighbors.
“Check on your neighbors and make sure they are okay,” Burton said. “Just make sure no one is struggling without heat and things like that.”
Burton said that in addition to road crews, some Carter County residents have also been out on side-by-side vehicles and tractors to help out, but he urges everyone to be careful and stay safe.
“We have been very fortunate compared to other communities,” Grayson Mayor Troy Combs said. Combs updates residents of Grayson with Facebook posts daily and often multiple times per day.
“We need to do a better job letting the community know what services are available to them in situations like this,” he said.
The posts are an attempt to do just that, he said, while also praising Grayson Emergency Management with keeping up a steady stream of information.
Combs said that it is important to keep the public informed, so there is no confusion when there is an emergency need. Grayson, for instance, would not be the best first choice to call for emergency needs outside the city limits. The city would of course connect Carter County residents with the proper agency, but it would benefit residents to know who to contact and save time, especially in an emergency situation.
The goal is to keep everyone in Carter County safe, and Combs said that Grayson is always ready to do its part. Combs said the county is doing a great job during emergencies such as the extreme weather event, and Grayson is willing to assist in any way if needed.
The Carter County Times also reached out to Olive Hill Mayor Jerry Callihan for this story, but he was not available at press time.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
