This tree beautifully covered with ice was photographed near the First State Bank in West Union. (Photo by Amber Dryden-Grooms)
Level 3 Snow Emergency declared in county
These young ladies braved the chilly temperatures to find their own large chunk of ice, Alyssa Smalley and Addison Puckett. (Photo by Leeann Puckett)
Even with all the havoc it brought, a winter storm can also share its beauty as seen here on 125 at Blue Creek Hill. (Photo by Angie Williams)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Once again last week, Mother Nature made her winter presence known as the county was hit with a freezing rain/ice/sleet/snow storm that literally forced everything to a halt and kept everyone hunkered down in their homes, while once again showing winter’s beauty as the ice left glittering images on trees and structures.
The predicted winter event began in earnest on Thursday evening, when a day that began with only rain quickly took a turn for the worse as temperatures dropped rapidly. Late Thursday evening and into Friday morning a combination of freezing rain, sleet, and ice pounded the area, then saw that covered with a layer of snow into Friday morning.
The ice and snow combination rapidly made roads impassable, forcing Adams County Sheriff Kimmy Rogers to declare a Level 3 Snow Emergency in the county, meaning that roadways were closed and limited to emergency personnel only. Many residents also experienced loss of power in their homes as the heavy ice accumulations affected trees and power lines, forcing crews to head out to battle the nasty elements in order to get power restored. Trash collection in the area was also disrupted as Rumpke had to readjust their schedule to keep their drivers out of the treacherous road conditions.
The storm also played havoc with the local school districts as both the Adams County Ohio Valley and Manchester districts were forced to close on Thursday and Friday, and because many of the county’s back roads had still not been treated and were deemed unsafe, both districts were also closed on Monday, a remote learning day for ACOVSD and a Blizzard Bag Day for MLSD.
The storm also disrupted high school sports schedules over the weekend as both districts cancelled all scheduled games and activities. That send local coaches and athletic directors scrambling to find reschedule dates, made more difficult by the face that girls sectional tournament play begins this week,
The good news is that temperatures are expected to reach into the 40’s by mid-week, which should allow for the accumulated ice and snow to melt, but that could cause flooding issues beyond.
