People in Kentucky’s capital city are watching for what could be a mixed bag of weather for the weekend.
Road crews and emergency management folks say they plan way in advance for situations like this.
State and local crews have been preparing for a busy time on roadways, ready to clear them of whatever may fall from the sky.
“This will be our first trip out this year. Hoping everything goes as planned,” said Gene Wilburn with the Franklin County Road Department.
It’s also a big task for state crews. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet monitors multiple districts throughout the state.
“A lot of pretreating is happening in much of the state. Already as of this morning,” said KYTC spokesperson Naitore Djigbenou.
The challenge is not knowing what exactly may happen and what emergencies could result from it.
“Folks moving around, safety, people moving, slips, falls, cooling temperatures. Potential for fires. People use extra heating sources,” said Ray Kinney with Frankfort/Franklin County Emergency Management.
There are 200 miles of county roads in Franklin County alone, and the 17 men who will be called in to respond are preparing for much longer shifts and the challenges the weather may bring.
The salt dome is full of more than 2,000 tons, and several hundred could be needed for this go around.
“My biggest fear is just the ice. Very tough to maneuver a vehicle in the ice. Worry about power outages and things like that,” said Wilburn.
“Our crews have gone through training. They are closely monitoring all regions, listening to local weather reports to make local decisions,” said Djigbenou
Officials say the best advice is to have a plan now on what to do if the weather causes a worst-case scenario for you.
Credit: Phil Pendleton-WKYT/Lexington
