SFC under ice storm warning; crews begin pre-treating roads
ArDOT getting extra manpower, equipment from Little Rock
Area residents need to begin preparing today for not one, but two, storms forecast over the next couple of days that are expected to make travel difficult in Eastern Arkansas, starting tonight.
The National Weather Service in Memphis said St. Francis County and much of this area is under an ice storm warning.
NWS Memphis Meteorologist Katie Dedeaux today explained that ice storm warnings are issued when a forecast shows an area is expected to receive at least a quarter of an inch of ice.
Dedeaux said the first of the two rounds of winter weather is forecast to arrive tonight.
“We have two events going on. One will start tonight with freezing rain overnight and into the morning until about 7 to 8 a.m.,” said Dedeaux. “There will be maybe a five to seven hour break before another round of freezing rain moves in tomorrow afternoon. The first round probably won’t have as much of an impact, but once you get that second round on top of the first one, you could start to see some impact on roadways, power lines, trees, those sorts of things.”
Dedeaux said this week’s forecast is the first significant winter weather forecast for the area so far this season. “This is definitely one of the first impactful events of this winter,” she noted.
The NWS has adjusted its forecast based on the most recent data.
“Over the last 24 hours this storm has come better into focus. Before, the models were kind of all over the place. The last 24 hours they have honed in on the ice storm warning which is going to affect a large portion of Arkansas. It goes all the way from Mena to Memphis,” said Dedeaux. “The areas in the winter weather advisory can still expect to see some freezing rain. They’re not forecast to reach onefourth of an inch, but they will still see some.”
Area road crews are already working on highways and local streets in an effort to keep the roads as clear as possible during the storm.
ArDOT District 1 Engineer Cannon Callicott and Forrest City Public Works Director Darin Flenoy said they have placed workers on swing shifts to make sure the manpower is available to deal with the situation.
“We started pre-treating all of the routes in our district this morning and we’re probably going to do that today and tomorrow,” said Callicott, adding that the rain forecast before the ice will make the pre-treatment process difficult.
“This storm is coming in with rain ahead of it, so it’s problematic with the pretreatment because the rain tends to wash it off,” said Callicott. “When we can catch a break between the rain, we’re going to be hitting the roads, trying to keep them from freezing.”
Callicott said the District office started its 24-hour operations this morning. “We’ll have crews come in at 8 tonight and then switch again at 8 in the morning,” he said. “We’re also bringing in extra crews and equipment from Little Rock because it looks like Interstate 40 is going to be the hardest hit, according to the forecast. We will have additional trucks patrolling I-40 and Interstate 55 to try and keep those open, and we have crews on standby.”
Flenoy said city crews are making sure the blades and spreaders are mounted to city trucks so the equipment will be ready to go if needed. “We’re also making sure our knuckle-boom truck is up and running in case limbs fall and we need to remove debris. We’re basically on call right now,” he said.
Flenoy said crews plan to start pre-treating city streets with deicer about 3 this afternoon. “We are getting prepared.”
Anna Howton, spokesperson for Woodruff Electric Cooperative, said the company has been monitoring the forecast for several days.
“All WECC personnel are on standby, and additional line and right-of-way crews are available if needed. In addition, WECC crews have stocked and fueled the fleet of trucks and equipment. Also, crews have ensured a well-stocked inventory of additional equipment such as poles, transformers and other items,” said Howton.
“Members are encouraged to be prepared as well with a fullystocked emergency kit with food, water, prescriptions, flashlights, battery-powered radio and extra batteries. It is imperative that those members who rely on electricity-dependent medical devices have a plan in place in case they experience an extended outage,” added Howton.
“Woodruff Electric’s experienced and highly trained crews are prepared for every possible scenario with one goal in mind: to safely work to restore power as quickly as possible. Members are encouraged to call 1-888-559-6400 or 870-633-7100 to report a power outage,” she said.
Gov. Sarah Sanders said in a press released today that the Arkansas National Guard is “postured and prepared” to support Arkansas State Police Troop D in Forrest City as weather conditions warrant and ASP determines a need. Those troops will be supported by soldiers with the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
“Each winter weather support group consists of a five-person team, including one NCO and four guardsmen, and a Humvee with communications equipment. They will operate around the clock until no longer needed. Each team will travel ASP designated roads to assist motorists and help motorists to safety. Teams are not authorized to recover privately owned or commercial vehicles. If the need arises, teams are permitted to recover first responder emergency vehicles to a safe area if they are able to do so,” according to the press release.