Winter storm covers the region and more snow expected later this week
Jan. 17—By GREG JORDAN and SAMANTHA PERRY
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — More snow and frigid cold with dangerous wind chills were expected for later this week while highways crew and residents spent much of their Tuesday digging out from a winter storm that hit the region on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Keith Gunnoe, executive director of the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management, said road conditions were "nasty" Monday, but road crews with the state Department of Highways as well as the city of Princeton and the city of Bluefield did a good job Tuesday clearing the main roads. Some secondary roads were still treacherous.
Temperatures started dropping Tuesday and continued to drop throughout the day, Gunnoe said. Forecasts this week included single-digit temperatures and below-zero wind chills.
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. predicted around an inch of snow Thursday evening.
"It's looking like late Thursday into Friday is the next chance for any kind of snow," said meteorologist Amanda Sava. "It will probably be later in the afternoon on Thursday and kind of continue through the night and into Friday as well."
Forecasters were expecting single-digit temperatures, too, along with wind chill. A low of 1 degree was expected Tuesday evening with a wind chill as low as 16 degrees below zero, Sava stated. An arctic air mass that was over the central United States has been moving far enough east to impact the West Virginia and Virginia region.
Local law enforcement agencies and 911 centers reported minor wrecks along the region's roadways both Monday and Tuesday. The fact that many people decided to stay home and off the roads was helpful, one member of a local 911 center said.
"Yesterday (Monday) with the snow continuing to come down we did have several accidents of people sliding off the roads," said Julie Lockhart, training coordinator for Mercer County 911. "Today (Tuesday) it's been a lot better. We've had a couple of accidents, but it seems like people took heed of the warning to stay off the road."
Lockhart said it was helpful that there was warning of the storm and that many small businesses closed early. On Tuesday, she noted some businesses opened later. This delay gave employees more time to get to work safely.
"That's what we hope for, is people staying safe," she added.
Lockhart did note that an ambulance picking up patients got stuck Monday night, but a wrecker was dispatched to the scene.
Tazewell County Sheriff Brian Hieatt said Tuesday had not been bad with many county offices and schools closed.
"Yesterday we did have a couple of car accidents," Hieatt stated. "At 2:07 p.m. (Tuesday) in Tazewell there was one report of a vehicle that hit a tree and another of a car in a ditch, but there were no injuries in any of the accidents."
Mercer County Chief Deputy Alan Christian said initially it was a bad storm with many accidents and fallen trees.
"We still suggest people use caution and travel only when necessary," Christian said. "Now is the time to enjoy that quality family time."
Sheriff James Muncy in McDowell County said primarily only minor accidents have been reported.
"Last night (Monday) we did have an 18-wheeler jack knife in the middle of the road on Tank Hill. Only one lane was open for a period, but there were no injuries," Muncy said.
Lockhart attributed the lack of serious incidents during the storm to a team effort by first responders and the community.
"I think it was a really good team effort with all the departments coming together and the community staying in," Lockhart said.
West Virginia health officials offered advice for dealing with the frigid weather.
Sherri A. Young, D.O., MBA, FAAFP, Cabinet Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Health (DH) reminded residents of important safety precautions amid severe weather.
"In addition to the strenuous work of clearing snow, it's important to remember that cold temperatures make the heart work harder to keep the body warm," Young said. "When performing fatiguing work, those with high blood pressure or a medical history of heart disease are at an increased risk of a heart attack."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), signs of a heart attack may include chest discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort in arms, neck, jaw, or stomach may also signal a heart attack. Additional symptoms include shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. CDC officials urged people to call 911 immediately if someone is suspected of having a heart attack.
In extremely cold temperatures, it is also important to recognize the signs of hypothermia caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, according to the CDC. Symptoms may include shivering, exhaustion, slurred speech and drowsiness.
"If you notice any of the above signs, take the person's temperature. If it's below 95 degrees, it is imperative to get medical attention quickly," Young stated.
For those who cannot get medical help right away, the following methods are recommended by the CDC to warm the person up:
—Get the person into a warm room or shelter.
—Remove any wet clothing the person is wearing.
—Warm the center of the person's body—chest, neck, head, and groin — using an electric blanket, if available. You can also use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels or sheets.
—Warm drinks can help increase body temperature, but do not give alcoholic drinks.
Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
—After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrap their body, including their head and neck, in a warm blanket.
For more resources on ways to stay safe during severe weather, visit http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/index.asp.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
