The Leflore County Board of Supervisors and the Greenwood City Council have declared states of emergency in advance of the impending winter storm, which could bring as much as an inch of ice and additional sleet to the area.
As of Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service had issued an ice storm warning beginning at 6 p.m. Friday and continuing until 9 p.m. Sunday. While some sleet or freezing rain could begin on Friday, the bulk of the winter weather is projected to fall on Saturday and Sunday.
The supervisors passed the emergency declaration during a special called meeting Thursday in conjunction with Mayor Kenderick Cox, the Greenwood City Council, the Leflore County Emergency Management Agency, Greenwood Utilities, Delta Electric, the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department, the Greenwood Police Department, the Greenwood Fire Department, Greenwood Public Works and Wastewater and others.
Greenwood Utilities general manager Brian Finnegan said he didn’t want to be a “doom sayer” but called the forecast for at least one inch of ice “devastating.”
He said many remembered the severity of the ice storm of 1994, and that was only one-quarter to one-half of an inch of ice. He is hoping that the model’s current forecast doesn’t come to pass and that the ice line moves farther north.
“We’re talking double that,” Finnegan said. “… We may not get an inch, and that’s my prayer that we don’t. But somebody’s going to get a lot of snow, and somebody’s going to get a lot of ice. It’s just a matter of where’s it going to be.
“We are preparing for the worst, praying for the best.”
Finnegan and B.J. Shake of Delta Electric said they have been calling around to bring in contractors to help them in the event that the ice storm occurs so they can get crews in to restore power as soon as possible. With the widespread nature of this winter storm, however, Finnegan said other power companies like theirs would be competing for the same contractors to help restore power.
Finnegan said they will also bring in employees to handle the phones over the weekend to assist customers with their power outages.
“This is not normal, but we will bring with utility employees answering the phone so we can make sure that we we’re aware of all the outages out there,” Finnegan said.
Cox said the city of Greenwood will also be on call 24 hours a day during this event. However, he wants to make sure that all city employees stay safe through the storm.
“I understand the fact of we are here to protect the community, but at the same time we’ve got to protect ourselves in the process as well,” Cox said.
Lt. Rolando Galvan with the Greenwood Police Department said police plan to be on call ready to assist during the winter storm. They will have personnel staffed at the warming stations at the old fire department on Claiborne Avenue and the senior citizens center from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Officers will respond when residents call the police, but Galvan said the response time will be delayed due to the potentially hazardous road conditions.
“However, if it becomes necessary that we need to get to you, do not hesitate to call the police department anyway. We will have somebody on standby to take any reports over the phone,” Galvan said. “Once we do have an opportunity to respond to you, we can assist any way we can, but we won’t turn away any calls.”
Galvan also said that any health care workers who are on call and need assistance getting to work can call the police department.
Darwin Greene, who is acting as the supervisor of the Greenwood Public Works department, said salt trucks are ready to treat the city’s bridges if they become impassable.
Jerry Smith, Leflore County’s road manager, reiterated that salt and gravel are ready for the county’s roads. The first bridge that normally closes is the Highway 512 bridge.
Supervisor Sam Abraham said they will need cooperation between the city and county to respond to the disaster.
“If it’s an event like you’re talking about, we’re talking major, I mean it’s going to be ugly,” Abraham said. “I just want to make sure everybody’s OK with us being out there helping.”
Leflore County Administrator Cynthia Stanciel also suggested that the cities and county talk to each other if anyone of the government offices plan to close so that they could be on the same page.
Fred Randle, Leflore County emergency management director, presented the supervisors with a resolution to make the emergency declaration to make it easier for to get federal assistance if President Donald Trump makes a federal disaster declaration following the event.
Randle also said anyone who has damage from the storm may contact the EMA office at 662-299-2600 so that it can be reported. Having all of the reported damage could make it easier for the county to be included in a disaster declaration.
Randle also said the disaster funding could also help the county and local municipalities recoup overtime costs associated with the disaster declaration.
-Brent Maze is the editor and publisher of The Greenwood Commonwealth. Contact him at 662-581-7243 or bmaze@gwcommonwealth.com.
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors met with Itta Bena and Greenwood officials Thursday to declare a state of emergency and update citizens on the status of impending winter storm.
