Winter storm brought lots of snow, few problems

Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 13, 2010

NATCHEZ — The Miss-Lou weathered Thursday’s winter storm with few complications.

Adams County Emergency Management Director Stan Owens said most areas received between four and five inches of snow.

“Some in the northern part of the county — in the Cannonsburg, Washington and Cranfield areas — got upwards of six inches, and so I expect the official measurement will be closer to six inches,” he said.

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Adams County saw a few traffic accidents, but only one of those — a motorcyclist who lost control after hitting a slick spot in the road — had injuries, Owens said.

Approximately 300 Entergy customers in the Adams County area and approximately 300 customers in the Gloster area also lost power.

By 3 p.m. Friday, the power outages in Adams County had been reduced to an area of approximately 10 customers, Entergy Customer Service Specialist Stephen Caruthers said.

“Unless something drastic happens, I anticipate a 100 percent restoration by the end of the day (Friday),” he said.

The Gloster-area customers could also expect their power to be restored by the end of the day Friday, Caruthers said.

“We came out of this storm on a really positive note,” he said. “It caused more of a problem in central Mississippi. In southwest Mississippi we have done really well.”

“The tree trimming in the last couple of years has paid great dividends,” Caruthers said.

One of the major concerns about the storm was that it would create adverse roadway conditions, and Mississippi Department of Transportation crews worked through the night to ensure that the area’s bridges stayed open.

Friday afternoon, MDOT Road Supervisor Bud Vines said because it appeared that much of the snow was not going to thaw, crews would clear the bridges with front-end loaders and graders to keep the snow from freezing in to solid ice.

“We are just trying to keep (the bridges) open,” he said.

Natchez City Engineer David Gardner said Natchez waterworks had teamed up with the public works department to keep the city’s streets sanded.

“We focused on steep roads like Silver Street, D.A. Biglane Road, also Learned’s Mill Road because there are some people who live down there, and other little places around town that tend to ice and give us problems,” Gardner said.

The city’s utility infrastructure also made it through the night without incident.

In Concordia Parish, there were no major reports of power lost, and roadways remained mostly clear.

Concordia Parish Emergency Management Director Morris White said that was because the snow did not mix with sleet to make larger ice formations.

“The snow didn’t build up a heavy ice cord to have a heavy weight on the power lines,” White said.

“As fast as it was coming down, it was melting off. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome for it.”

Vidalia Utilities Plant Operator Johnnie Minor said that the city’s utility infrastructure fared the storm without notable damage, and that everyone had power.