When everything shuts down in advance of inclement weather, city and county residents can rest assured that law enforcement officials and other emergency personnel remain vigilant during the worst of it to keep everyone safe. And in this case, the winter weather advisory was a sign of frigid temps, which can even hard on the folks who get to stay inside.
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Just because the area didn’t exactly experience blizzard conditions in this most recent weather “event,” the fact that schools and other agencies were closed surely cut down on the volume of traffic on the roads.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said his officers had received only two reports of traffic accidents – a fender-bender on Dabney Drive and a second involving one vehicle sliding off the road along a shaded portion of Beckford Drive, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
“You’ll get humbled real quick out there,” Barrow told WIZS. You’re driving along, then all of a sudden, there’s a shady spot that’s iced over. And that’s when accidents can occur, again in reference to conditions as of 11 o’clock in the morning Tuesday.
Police patrols were on the lookout for motorists or others in distress while the wintry mix fell during the day and then overnight, he said.
City government offices opened at normal hours Tuesday, but Barrow said he had officers monitoring road conditions and reporting back.
But even when city offices are closed – as they were on Friday and again on Monday – it’s not a day off for many city employees, including police officers and public works employees.
Barrow said Public Works Director Lee Owen and his team were throwing salt and sand where they could, but “with the ice situation, there’s not too much that we have that will help that situation.”
Individuals who stayed indoors while the winter weather advisory was in effect likely faced challenges of staying warm. And Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale and Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds reminded residents to keep some basic safety tips in mind during these cold snaps.
If you use a space heater, please remember that they should be plugged directly into a wall outlet – no drop cords or power stips!
“Around this time of year, around Christmas, we usually see an uptick in fires,” Twisdale said “when additional heat becomes necessary.”
Make sure there’s at least a three-foot clearance around any supplemental heat source you use in your home.
If that supplemental heat source is a kerosene heater, remember to use the correct type of fuel. And never mix different types of fuel!
If you’re burning fossil fuels, whether it’s oil, natural gas or wood logs, it’s a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. And if you hear an annoying “chirp” from your smoke detector, it means it’s time to replace the battery.
City residents can place a call to the fire department at 252.438.7315 to request a replacement smoke detector.