County remains under snow emergency

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

With well over a foot of snow on the ground, temperatures showing 12 below zero (wind chill of 36 below) at 7:30 this morning and winds increasing to 30 mph, Tuesday is shaping up to be possibly a worse day in Van Wert County than was Monday.

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach sent an update at 9:27 this morning noting that the county remains under a snow emergency, which prohibits non-emergency vehicle traffic on county, township and state routes.

“I do not know when the emergency will be lifted,” Sheriff Riggenbach said. “Snowplow crews need to be able to open up roads and keep them open.

“The blowing and drifting snow, as well as motorists who have ventured out and become stuck, has kept this from happening.” the sheriff added, noting that the extreme cold temperatures have also made it difficult to keep equipment working properly.

Sheriff Riggenbach said area residents can check local media, as well as the sheriff’s office website at www.vanwertcountysheriff.com, to find out when the snow emergency is lifted. Snow emergency information will be posted at the top of the website’s home page.

Van Wert County Emergency Management Director Rick McCoy urges motorists to avoid driving in rural areas of the county because of the high risk of getting stuck and stranded in the sub-zero temperatures – something that could result in death for the unprepared.

“Do not drive vehicles out in the county, as the majority of roads will be drifted shut,” McCoy posted on his Facebook page. “If your vehicle dies from the cold or you become stuck, hypothermia and death is possible.”

Currently, Lincoln Highway is the only county road being plowed out, while the Ohio Department of Transportation notes that state and U.S. highways will continue to be extremely icy through Wednesday.

Approximately 400 customers of Dayton Power & Light south of Ohio City were without power for several hours on Monday, with Wren and Ohio City fire departments offering pick-up and shelter to those without power.

A number of businesses and governmental offices are either closed or will open later than normal on Tuesday. Those planning to go out should call their destination to make sure they will be open today (see partial list of closings and delays below).

Meanwhile, the current storm is being compared to the Great Blizzard of 1978, when 12 inches of snow fell and winds of over 60 mph blew drifts as high as the roofs of homes in rural areas of the county.

McCoy said there is, at present, approximately 15 inches of snow on the ground, with nearly 10 inches coming in the latest storm, added to 4-5 inches deposited by the storm that hit late last week.

What saved the county this time around was the absence of the higher wind speeds, coupled with wetter, heavier snow that can’t drift as high as the lighter, powdery snow seen in 1978.

Local officials continue to ask local residents to stay at home, if possible, citing wind-chills that can cause hypothermia within minutes, while rural county residents are still under a snow emergency limiting travel to emergencies only. A wind-chill warning issued by the National Weather Service is also in effect in the county until 7 p.m. Tuesday.