We came out, for the most part, unscathed with the winter wonderland of snow, which fell on this community.
Certainly, with about four inches, we fared better than folks in Charlotte, Greensboro, in the mountains, and on the coast.
“The city of Fayetteville did fare well with this weekend’s snow,” Laura Smith, emergency management coordinator for the city, was saying Monday. “Our streets division, along with N.C. DOT [North Carolina Department of Transportation] worked hard to get the roads treated with sand-salt and plowed as quickly as they could and are still working at it.”
It is important to note that shaded and elevated areas, including bridges and culverts, still could present extremely slippery conditions,” the city said in a news release Monday, “and residents need to take extra precautions when driving.
There was good news beyond the city limits, too.
“Right now, main roads are mostly clear with some spotty ice,” said Diane Rice, communications director for Cumberland County. “Side roads, particularly in more rural areas, are not clear. The city and DOT are actively working to clear as many roads as they can. We have not had any major reported damage.”
However, Smith and Rice are urging community residents to be vigilant on the roadways, as below freezing temperatures can lead to perilous driving conditions for motorists.
“We continue to encourage residents to stay off the roads and only get out if they need to,” Smith said. “While our primary roads are looking good, secondary roads and those with natural shade will freeze again tonight [Monday] and make for treacherous travel in the morning [Tuesday].”
Smith followed with an update Tuesday.
“If you must travel this morning, please take your time,” she said. “While primary roads are in good condition, secondary roads and naturally shaded areas remain icy. The good news is that with highs around 50 Tuesday and a low that stays above freezing, we look to be in good shape heading into Wednesday. Wednesday may bring us some rain, but that is just it, rain.”
Rice shared Smith’s advice.
“We encourage our community to limit travel as much as possible until the ice has cleared,” she said. “We are incredibly proud of the collaboration of all public safety teams. From our 911 operators to our deputies, teams have worked around the clock to keep our community safe. We will continue posting updates to all official channels.”
Rice also followed with an update Tuesday.
“DOT is out trying to clear as many roads as they can,” she said. “Because the temperatures remain low, there are icy areas. We urge the community to limit travel and to drive slowly and carefully if they must drive.”
‘Use Caution While Traveling’
Gov. Josh Stein also weighed in Monday with a reminder that it’s the freezing temperatures, which will create the need for caution throughout the state.
“We are working around the clock to clear roads and get people back to their daily lives as quickly and safely as possible, but because temperatures will remain low overnight, this process takes time,” the governor said in a news release. “We ask for your patience, and if you need to be on the roads this week, I urge you to slow down, give extra distance, and use caution while traveling.”
Sunlight is our friend in melting away the snow. We can’t say that for these frigid and below-freezing nights, which bring the ice.
“Our crews worked hard to clear most interstates [Sunday] and are now working on other major and two-lane roads [Monday], but we anticipate the hardest-hit areas will continue to see impacts to the roads in the days to come,” Daniel Johnson, the state transportation secretary, said Monday. “Please be patient and give our crews space to work. Conditions vary across the state. We encourage people to avoid driving where snow and ice still cover the roads and to exercise caution and reduce speed when driving.”
Epilogue
Our community, by and large, weathered the snow. It was lovely to watch the snowflakes falling on Saturday evening. Sunday made for a good day of catching up with old episodes of Seinfeld characters Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, and neurotic George Costanza.
We still have these cold nights to deal with in this frigid season.
“Please check on your neighbors and keep those pets indoors,” Laura Smith with the city said. “Stay safe and warm.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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