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Wakulla County Emergency Management activates EOC, warns residents of icy roads and power-outage risk
Summary
Jennifer Nagy of Wakulla County Emergency Management briefed commissioners on expected ice, rain and snow, activation of the Emergency Operations Center and county preparations including bridge sanding, extra dispatchers and a recommendation to stay off roads.
Jennifer Nagy, Wakulla County Emergency Management, told the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners that the county had activated its Emergency Operations Center and was preparing for a winter weather event that could bring rain, ice and 1 to 2 inches of snow, with higher amounts possible to the west.
Nagy said the county activated the EOC at 8:00 a.m. and has a skeleton crew on site; roadway and bridge treatments were under way, and county crews and contractors are on standby. She warned that as little as a tenth of an inch of frozen rain can cause bridges to ice and can lead to downed limbs and power lines. Officials have contacted Duke Energy and a company referred to in the record as Topland about restoration planning.
"We are asking the public to stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow," Nagy said. "Once you see accumulation in shady areas and ditches, expect it to take another hour or two before the roads become dangerous; after that, you can start seeing black ice across the roads."
Nagy outlined additional preparations the county has taken: DOT applied de-icing agent to state-road bridges in the area; the county placed sand on county bridges; extra sand trucks and crews are on standby; additional dispatchers are scheduled; and public-safety generators have been topped off. Residents were urged to prepare for power outages, to have water, food and extra blankets, to follow generator-safety guidance and to protect exposed pipes.
County offices planned to open at noon the following day "assuming" conditions allow it, and the county's sheriff's office similarly adjusted staffing and schedules; local schools were closed. Nagy said the cold period may persist for several nights, and asked residents to check on elderly neighbors and protect pets and plants.
Ending Officials asked residents to limit nonessential travel, drive slowly if travel is necessary, and be prepared for multi-hour power outages depending on conditions and the number of outages across the county.
