Community is pulling together
Officials across North Alabama are preparing for winter weather, and Lincoln County, Tennessee, is doing the same.
WAAY 31 was there Tuesday as county officials met to discuss their plans. Fayetteville County Road Superintendent Tim Gill says the biggest factor Wednesday will be when the snow starts falling, and they’re adjusting their response accordingly. The best-case scenario, he says, would be if road temperatures help melt the snow as it falls. But treating county roads remains a challenge, as there’s no budget for salt equipment.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has already applied brine to state roads and plans to salt them around midnight. However, county roads won’t receive the same treatment. Gill says they’ll do the best they can with the resources available.
“As far as the county, we don’t have—we can't justify having—salt equipment. We have 865 miles of roads, so it'd be hard to cover all of them. We have road graders and another piece of equipment to clear snow, but usually, we need about four inches before we can do any good with that type of equipment,†said Gill.
Lincoln County EMA Director Doug Campbell says they feel confident the area will be in good shape Wednesday but remain cautious since snowfall amounts are still uncertain. He warns that county roads won’t be treated overnight, so drivers need to be extra careful.
“The roads could be slick, a little treacherous, a little wet, and in the morning, your headlights might not pick everything up, so you need to be extra cautious and allow yourself a little time,†said Campbell.
He says black ice is possible in the coming days, but with current ground temperatures, most of the snow should melt quickly.
WAAY 31 also spoke with Fayetteville Public Utilities CEO Britt Dye, who says they’ve fine-tuned their response plan based on past winter weather challenges.
“When it comes to cold weather, ice, or snow, we have contingency plans that we go through step by step. We prepare for these kinds of weather events, and our plan hasn’t changed much from the last storm a few weeks ago,†said Dye.
Utility vehicles are fueled up and ready to assist. Since county roads aren’t salted, trucks have four-wheel drive, and if conditions worsen, they’ll add chains to their tires. Dye says they’ll respond as quickly as possible but asks residents to help conserve energy where they can.
“If you’ve got a hot water heater, washer, or dryer, cut back at night and use them during off-peak times. When you first come home, lower your thermostat a little—stay comfortable, but if you can help us out, we’ll do our best to keep everyone’s power on,†said Dye.
He encourages anyone with concerns over the next few days to call their office, which is available 24/7.
County officials all shared the same advice—if you don’t have to be out, stay home.
