Winter Weather Tips
County officials said being prepared, staying home and watching for fire dangers are crucial ways to remain safe in extreme winter weather.
Temperatures plummeted into the teens this week and more snow fell Tuesday, prompting the Oglethorpe County School System to cancel classes on Wednesday.
This winter storm was after the Jan. 10 storm that dumped about 1½ inches of snow on the Athens area, according to the National Weather Service.
How should residents prepare?
“Stay off the roads as much as possible, unless you have an emergency,” said Adam Nation, public works director. “If you’re out in a vehicle, just be cautious.”
Nation is familiar with prepping for ice and snow.
“If we have those types of conditions, we try to either spread a salt-sand mixture on our bridges, or we’ll spray some brine, which is a salt and water mixture along the bridges,” he said. “Then we have several spots throughout the county that stay shaded when we have snow events or ice events, and we know where those are at. We go ahead and prep those as well.”
The unsafe use of heaters in homes and barns is another risk during winter.
“Make sure if you’re using any kind of space heaters or fueled heaters, like kerosene heaters, that you monitor them regularly,” Vesta Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief Mike Moravek said. “A lot of the fires that we hear come through are like a space heater in the bathroom or a kerosene heater, and usually they were unattended.”
The biggest risk in winter conditions, local officials said, is simply being unprepared.
“Think ahead of time, before the storm comes,” Moravek said. “Get your groceries. Don’t rush out at the last minute to get everything. Try to get your things in order before the storm comes.”
As the winter weather continues, staying informed is also important. There are many different ways to do so.
Moravek encourages residents to check websites and Facebook pages, including their local fire departments.
“Everyone usually has a cell phone, so they can look at the weather apps as well,” he said. “I recommend turning on their weather advisory alerts if they have a weather app, and that way, if there’s a hurricane or something coming, they’ll get an alert for that.
“They can also call our fire department directly if they want, if they’re nervous about anything.”