A second winter storm is predicted to bring more ice and freezing rain to the area overnight and into Thursday, following on the heels of last weekend’s ice storm that residents have barely recovered from.
Brian Short, director of emergency operations for Henderson and Vance County, told John C. Rose Wednesday that the National Weather Service prediction of up to .35 inches of ice is a conservative prediction, and he said the area could experience widespread power outages again.
Power crews have been working nonstop since Saturday to restore power, he said, and a second storm means that those efforts “are going to be undone,” he said during Wednesday’s Town Talk. The storm that hit the area Friday night and into Saturday made wet ground even wetter, Short said. “A lot of the trees in danger of falling have already fallen,” he said, but this storm brings with it the potential for more ice than with the previous storm, so trees will be even more stressed.
Short expects dangerous conditions all day Thursday, with temperatures not getting above freezing until late morning or lunchtime. Although the forecast indicates the storm will last about 24 hours, “the aftermath is probably going to be with us for days, just like the last one,” Short said.
TownTalk Audio of Brian Short.
The state of emergency that was issued locally for the first storm remains in effect until the second storm has moved out, he said. As of 5 p.m., he and his staff will be operating on Level 1 status. Additional staff will be on hand beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday.
Please do NOT call 911 to report a power outage, Short stressed. “Your call could keep someone with an an actual emergency from getting help as quickly as possible,” he said.
And if you don’t have to go outside, please don’t, he added. “One of the dangers in an event like this is downed trees and power lines,” Short said. If the predictions are accurate, the ice accumulations on trees will be more significant than last weekend’s storm. “Trees are going to be snapping and breaking constantly all around us,” so walking outside or driving a vehicle “presents a really dangerous situation.”
A 911 communications employee was driving to work in last week ‘s storm and a tree fell on the car the employee was in, he said. “There is a really strong danger with storms like this that we don’t see with snow,” Short added.
Short had other warnings, which include:
- Don’t use an alternative heat source indoors that is not meant for indoor use.
- Don’t overload power strips.
- Do make sure you’re putting the right type of fuel in alternative heat sources and make sure you follow manufacturer’s recommendations for use.
The “Golden Rule” of emergency management, Short said, is to plan for 72 hours of being self-sufficient. In the event of a widespread event, that’s how long it could take for help to arrive.
For Short and his emergency operations crews, one prediction is sure: “We’re going to have a very busy day ahead of us,” he said.
Call 800.419.6356 to report a power outage. Do not call 911.