Winter storm wreaks havoc
Area residents told to stay home
Stay home.
That is the message area agencies are sending to residents of Eastern Arkansas as the winter storm that began covering the area in ice last week changed to snow Sunday with heavier snowfall today, causing hazardous travel conditions across the state.
In addition to the precipitation, temperatures have fallen into the teens, with sub-zero wind chills, creating conditions that aren’t likely to improve until the temperature rises above freezing, which is not forecast until Saturday.
Cannon Callicott, District 1 Engineer for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, said crews are continuing to work around the clock, but admits that while the snow is falling, they’re almost fighting a losing battle.
“We had our main routes in pretty good shape, but the last band that moved through wiped all of that out,” said Callicott this morning, adding, “Our conditions are pretty poor right now. Stay home, if you can, please. Most of our roads are covered with snow and the visibility is pretty poor.”
Callicott said the heavy snowfall was expected to continue for the next several hours.
“Our crews are going to keep plowing, but they won’t be able to gain much ground until this lets up,” said Callicott.
Across the district, Callicott said crews are continuing to work 12hour shifts. “We had one crew start at noon yesterday and we changed shifts at midnight. The other crew will come back in at noon today.”
One of the ArDOT snow plows was rear ended by a motorist on the interstate Thursday night, and although Callicott said that fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident, but the equipment is inoperable. “That took a plow out of our rotation that we didn’t need to lose,” he said.
Callicott said he is aware of a few accidents that have occurred across the district, but said most involved vehicles sliding into ditches. “We’ve not really had bad accidents this time because it’s more snow than ice right now and traffic seems to have slowed down a little bit.”
He said crews would continue plowing the roadways and once they get to the pavement, would likely apply deicer. “It’s a very slow process at this point. We’re still out there plowing and trying to hold our ground,” said Callicott.
St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Eddie Adamson echoes Callicott’s words on staying home.
“The ice and stuff was one thing, but now we’re getting snow on top of it,” said Adamson. “The snow itself, people can maneuver pretty well, but we’re getting snow drifts in area and when that happens, cars become snow plows. Once a vehicle becomes a snow plow, you will not be able to maneuver it like you think,” said Adamson. “It’s almost cliché, but don’t get out unless you absolutely have to. When people run into the ditch because they’re just getting out, they’re not only putting themselves in danger, but also everyone who has to respond to their accident.”
Those who do venture out, need to know that wrecker services are no longer responding to calls in the area, according to Adamson. “On Friday, the quickest response time they could make was three to four hours. Our wrecker services have told us that they’re not running right now, so people who run off the road or need a wrecker are just going to be sitting there. They’ve told us they’ll let us know
when they’re able to get back out.
“It’s not a good situation,” continued Adamson. “For those who have to be out, I encourage them to let friends and family know they’re going to be out, where they’re going and what time they plan to get there. With cell phones, it’s a lot better than it used to be when people didn’t have that communication. If a person does get stuck, the best thing that could happen would be if they could get a ride back home or somewhere to get warm and just leave the car there.”
Adamson also reminds those who have to be out to make sure to pack the vehicle with blankets, snacks and any medicine the motorist might need in case they get stranded.
Adamson said the snow drifts are also creating dangerous situations, especially on county roads. “On some of these county roads, you can’t even see the road, so if you don’t know where a curve is, you could end up in the middle of a field or worse.
“We’re certainly encouraging everyone who can to stay home. Looking at the weather forecast, we’re not going to get any breaks this week. Once it starts melting and dropping below freezing, it’s probably going to get worse,” said Adamson. “Be sure to check on your neighbors and help one another out, but stay off the roads.”