Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Storm Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Henrico calls Winter Storm Fern the worst in decades; staff to conduct response debrief
Summary
Public Works said the county has not seen a storm like Winter Storm Fern in almost 30 years; staff reported clearing about 44% of roads the first day and will perform a debrief to identify improvements to response, while Public Relations described robust resident communications during the event.
Public Works Director Terrell Hughes told the Board the county had not seen "a storm like this in almost 30 years," describing changing forecasts, equipment deployments and constraints caused by compacted ice and persistent low temperatures. Hughes said crews cleared about 44% of roads the first day after the storm; the countys network includes roughly 3,600 miles of roads to clear and maintain.
County Public Relations Director Benjamen A. Sheppard said the department prioritized resident communications and thanked supervisors for resharing posts to increase reach. Supervisors and staff noted efforts to assist stranded residents, including Deputy County Manager Monica Smith-Callahans work helping seniors obtain food; staff said they will follow up with local Postal Service offices about mail delivery problems and will perform a post-storm debrief to identify improvements.
