Mayor says city is prepared for Friday’s winter storm

DEM Blogger

January 21, 2016

Lexington is prepared for the winter storm forecast for Friday, Mayor Jim Gray said.

“We’re ready. Our focus is on getting our roads clear as fast as we can, and reaching out to meet the individual needs of our citizens,” Gray said. “This is supposed to be a big storm, so those who can stay home should do so. Otherwise we hope everyone will help their neighbors, especially those who are elderly, and be patient. And please keep pets out of freezing temperatures.”

STREETS AND ROADS
Road crews have been preparing for this storm for about a week. Extra help will be called in from several city divisions and from private contractors to get streets cleared faster. Roads are cleared on a priority basis, depending upon how many people use them.
Citizens are encouraged to avoid parking on the city’s Snow Emergency Routes so roads can be cleared faster. The routes are marked by street signs. A map is available at www.lexingtonky.gov.

Be aware that cold temperatures make the chemicals used to clear streets less effective.
Downtown, from 6 p.m. today through midnight Sunday, citizens can park free in the four Parking Authority garages: the Helix on Main; the Transit Center on Vine; the Courthouse Garage on Barr Street; and Victorian Square Garage, off Short Street.

FAYETTE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent Manny Caulk: “In light of the pending winter storm, all Fayette County Public Schools and offices will be closed on Friday, January 22, 2016. We will also cancel all activities taking place in our buildings and on our campuses Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23nd. We encourage our students and families to take advantage of this opportunity to read and build memories together.”

CITY OFFICES CLOSED
City offices that are not involved in storm-related activities will be closed on Friday.

COUNTY CLERK OFFICES CLOSED
County Clerk offices will be closed on Friday.

LexCall 311 EXTENDED HOURS
Citizens may call LexCall 311 (425-2255) for assistance beginning at 8 a.m., Friday, Jan. 22, and continuing on a 24-hour basis through the duration of the storm.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
The City will open its Emergency Operations Center at 8 a.m. Friday. The Center will remain open through the duration of the storm. Call LexCall to call the Center.

NO UK CLASSES
University of Kentucky classes will be canceled tomorrow. Campus offices closed. UK HealthCare hospitals and clinics will remain open.

HOMELESS SHELTERS
Emergency shelters welcome all eligible people during snow storms. The Hope Center’s Cold Patrol and Catholic Action Center’s Compassionate Caravan are both out today visiting known sites and responding to calls reporting people in need of a ride to shelter. Citizens may call or text 859-913-0038 to report someone in need of shelter and Catholic Action Center volunteers will visit the reported location.
The Community Inn, 824 Winchester Rd., will open early at 6 p.m. tonight and remain open through Sunday.
During weather events all local shelters typically experience increased need for paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.), diapers and baby formula (Salvation Army), socks, hats, gloves, coats, warm clothes and feminine products.

GARBAGE PICK-UP
There will be no garbage pick-up on Friday. The make-up day will be Wednesday, Jan. 27.

FIRE
Please clear snow away from fire hydrants so they are easy to locate in case of emergency.

KENTUCKY UTILITIES
Kentucky Utilities customers experiencing outage can check the outage map at www.lge-ku.com/storm.

For more information go to www.lexingtonky.gov and click on “Snow Impact 2016.”