By Amelia A. Pridemore
Southern West Virginia still looks more like a bad disaster movie set in Alaska, but emergency managers say they are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
Abandoned vehicles, including tractor trailers, continue to litter the roadways, and most secondary roads are impassible. However, most major routes — particularly, the West Virginia Turnpike — are now clear.
Dean Meadows, Wyoming County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) director, said major roads are now passable. Some may only have one lane open, though. Power has been restored at the Oceana water plant, and the residents now have water.
Numerous abandoned vehicles cover the roadways, and these includes tractor trailers, Meadows said. Downed trees still remain, and two-thirds of county residents do not have power.
However, West Virginia National Guard soldiers are checking on residents, and they are transporting some to shelters or to family members’ or friends’ homes where there is power, Meadows said.
Authorities reported the battered West Virginia Turnpike is now clear.
National Guard personnel were called to help clear the Turnpike and U.S. 19 Saturday. Lt. Col. Mike Cadle, public affairs officer for the Guard, said stuck cars were often having to be moved one-at-a-time. Personnel in Humvees had distributed food and water to stranded motorists.
The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) updated its Twitter page around 9 p.m. Saturday, stating the Turnpike’s southbound traffic was beginning to move, but the agency advised extreme caution.
Shortly thereafter, it reported northbound traffic was moving, too.
Once traffic began moving again, State Police worked to make sure the initial move-out, especially at the “huge” backup around the Pax toll barrier, was slow, Cadle said. This was done to prevent another accident that would stop traffic again.
Sunday, 230 Guard members were working in eight counties, mostly in southern West Virginia, Cadle said. Many soldiers were stranded, themselves, Saturday. Military vehicles were required to pick some of them up before they could start work, too.
Guard soldiers are working to clear roads so utility company workers can reach more customers and restore their power, Cadle said. They are also doing “wellness checks”, making sure people have food and water in the hardest-hit areas.
Steve Cruikshank, Fayette County EOC director, said the situation in his county is improving, as well. U.S. 19 is now open, as are most primary routes. National Guard units are working to reach residents who need the most help, doing such tasks as delivering medications or bringing people to shelters.
Most abandoned vehicles on major roadways have been claimed or removed, Cruikshank said. Many travelers from out-of-area or out-of-state were housed in shelters through most of the weekend. When roads like the West Virginia Turnpike cleared, they claimed their vehicles. Authorities could still not find owners for a few vehicles, but they were towed to a safer location.
One major and lingering concern as of Sunday evening was a water system down in the Armstrong Creek area. Cruikshank said this plant, which has no power, serves about 750 customers. Not only do people need water, but this water is also needed for fire protection. Either power needs to be restored as quickly as possible, or three generators need to be brought to this plant.
Fayette authorities hope to move begin clearing secondary roads soon, Cruikshank said. But he emphasized that, with a storm like this one, crews can only do so much at a time.
“We only have so many four-wheel-drives,” he said. “Some people are telling us it’s going to take more than a Hummer or any other four-wheel-drive to go on some of these roads.”
Marty Agee, Raleigh County EOC deputy director, said primary roads are mostly clear, except for some rough places with “clumps” of snow on them. National Guard troops and state Division of Highways crews have been out with both graters and wreckers to both clear the roadways and move more abandoned vehicles.
Agee said authorities hope they can begin working to clear secondary roads soon.
Most storm totals, according to National Weather Service meteorologists, were around two feet in Raleigh, Fayette, and Nicholas counties. The situation farther east was a different story.
Cities like Lewisburg, Hinton and Union only reported 12-18 inches of snow Sunday, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. But Quinwood reported 31 inches of snow — the highest storm total for all of Blacksburg’s region.
Another storm system will move into the region shortly after midnight Monday and last through the late morning, said Simone Lewis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Charleston. This storm will probably only leave a minimal amount of additional snow — possibly around an inch.
“Generally, that’s not too big of a deal,” Chenard said. “We’re looking at snow showers of about an inch right now. That could possibly add one-to-two inches in Quinwood. Considering they have 30 inches of snow on the ground, they’ll probably not notice another inch or two.”
Counties west of the Beckley area are under a Winter Weather Advisory. But Lewis explained that region has a lower snowfall criteria than Beckley to receive those notices.
Most snow on the ground will probably remain there for at least a few days, Lewis said. High temperatures Monday will stay right at freezing. Temperatures will rise slightly above freezing as the week progresses, with high temperatures eventually reaching 41 degrees. However, nighttime temperatures will remain in the 20s.
For the most part, the Beckley area should receive a break from precipitation mid-week, Lewis said.
A third storm system is expected to move into the region Thursday, Lewis said. This one, though, is expected to be mostly rain. There will be potential for rain/snow mixes. Precipitation will probably change to snow overnight Friday, but the system should be on its way out by that point.
Rain on top of whatever snow hasn’t melted, she noted, has the potential to cause flooding. Forecasters will have a better idea as to what will happen as the week progresses.
Chenard said how rapidly any rainfall would melt snow — and how severe that situation could get — will depend on both how much rain falls and how quickly temperatures rise. Rainfall combined with significantly warmer temperatures could cause the snow to melt at a faster pace. More flooding potential exists, then. So far, no major warm-up is in the forecast.
“There’s still time to change as we get closer,” he said.
As of Sunday morning, 124,990 Appalachian Power customers in West Virginia had no power, according to information on the company’s Web site. These included 6,100 in Fayette County, 1,500 in Nicholas County, 2,700 in Raleigh County, 190 in Summers County and 7,000 in Wyoming County.
As of 6:30 p.m. Sunday, 23,418 Allegheny Energy customers in West Virginia had no power. These included one in Greenbrier County, four in Monroe County, 2,185 in Nicholas County and 27 in Summers County.
Anyone who needs help should first contact their local 911 centers, Cadle said. County emergency directors make determinations as to where state personnel should go.
Emergency shelters reportedly opened include:
-- Fayette County: Lewis Community Center in Oak Hill, Oak Hill High School, Pax Volunteer Fire Department
-- Greenbrier County: Rhema Christian Center in Fairlea
-- Nicholas County: Craigsville Fire Department and Summersville Senior Center
-- Raleigh County: Beckley Dream Center (behind the Church of God Family Worship Center, Pinewood Drive), Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, Bradley-Prosperity Volunteer Fire Department, Ghent Volunteer Fire Department
-- Summers County: Sandstone and Green Sulphur Springs fire departments, Elton Church, Lick Creek Baptist Church
-- Wyoming County: Pentecostal Church of God, Mullens; Glen Fork Grade School
The following schools reported Monday closings as of 7 p.m. Sunday: Fayette County, Greenbrier County, Greater Beckley Christian School, MSU Academy, Monroe County, New River Community and Technical College -- Greenbrier, Nicholas County, Rainelle Christian Academy, Raleigh County, Summers County, Valley College, Westminster Pre-School, Wyoming County.
The WVDHSEM also posted an updates just before 1 p.m., stating the statewide state of emergency is still in effect, despite reports to the contrary. Motorists are still advised to travel only when necessary so highway crews can continue to clear the roadways.
E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com
