ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Wintry weather is coming, and with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s state of emergency declaration, everyone in the commonwealth is gearing up for swift and efficient responses.
With the combination of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain, plus the potential flooding later in the week, both the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia State Police (VSP) strongly encourage everyone to stay off the roads tomorrow, unless it’s an absolute necessity.
“It will make it easier for us to get out there and plow and treat those roads,” Jason Bond, the communications manager for VDOT’s Salem District, said. “For everyone’s safety, it’s very important that folks avoid travel throughout the day on Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday.”
If you do have to travel, VSP said drivers need to be extremely careful.
First, be sure to clear any snow and slush off your car, and make sure it’s in good shape to hit the treacherous roads.
“Take a look at it,” Matthew Demlein, the public relations coordinator for VSP, said. “Make sure it’s in good working condition and everything is set and ready, so if you do have to go out in the conditions that your car can handle the conditions that are going to be out there.”
Once you are rolling, VSP wants to remind everyone to buckle up, out on your headlights and take it very slow, making sure to give snowplows and emergency vehicles plenty of room.
If you’re riding out the storm indoors, Roanoke Fire and Emergency Management Services (EMS) reminds you to make sure all heating sources, including space heaters and fireplaces are far away from anything combustible.
“The other piece is really; we don’t want you running any gas-powered equipment inside your homes,” Trevor Shannon, the battalion chief of emergency management and special operations, said. “Obviously because of carbon monoxide and other difficulties those cause.”
Heavy amounts of ice weighing down tree branches makes power outages likely.
Appalachian Power is monitoring the weather and preparing crews accordingly. While it gets ready, it also says now’s a good time for customers to also prepare for an outage.
“Now this is the time that we encourage you to start compiling an emergency kit,” Ashley Workman, an Appalachian Power communications representative, said. “That includes blankets, flashlights, batteries, portable chargers, non-perishable food and all other items that you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.”
WFXR News will provide team coverage of the storm throughout its entirety.