UPDATED SPECIAL REPORT: Localities, VDOT, Power Companies, Mary Washington Healthcare Preparing for Winter Storm
Gov. Abigail Spanberger yesterday declared a State of Emergency yesterday and Fredericksburg-area localities have followed suit.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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This story was updated on January 24 to include new information from the City of Fredericksburg.
For a list of known closures, visit CLOSURES. Before venturing out, call ahead to verify a site is open. People are encouraged to stay off the roads during the storm to allow snowplows to clear streets.
Localities, power companies, and the Virginia Department of Transportation are preparing for extremely cold weather and significant winter precipitation starting this weekend.
The City of Fredericksburg on Saturday announced that it has coordinated with the Department of Social Services to open a shelter and warming center should there be prolonged power outages.
“A notification will be sent via FredAlert and shared on the City's website and social media,” the announcement states.
In addition, Micah Ecumenical Ministries will operate a unisex, 24-hour cold weather shelter for unhoused individuals at the Fredericksburg Baptist Church, opening Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m.
The Fredericksburg region is under a Cold Weather Advisory from 8 p.m. on Friday through 10 a.m. on Saturday, with low temperatures dropping to 10 degrees Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
This is followed by a Winter Storm Warning, which is in effect from Saturday at 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Monday.
The NWS is predicting total snow accumulation of between five and 10 inches, with an additional quarter inch of ice accumulation. Though these estimates are down from what was initially expected, localities and VDOT are still preparing for hazardous conditions.
Fredericksburg’s City Manager Tim Baroody issued a Declaration of Local Emergency, effective Thursday, and the city is “actively preparing for the upcoming winter weather event,” according to a newsflash.
“Fire, Rescue, Police, Sheriff, Public Works and Parks, Recreation and Events are in an all hands-on status this week and throughout the weekend snow event,” the newsflash states.
The city has approximately 5,000 gallons of brine and 900 tons of salt and sand on hand and began pre-treating roads on Thursday. Thirteen large and eight small trucks with snow plows are on hand, as well as 10 large chemical spreaders and several tractors with plows.
Stafford County published a press release last week encouraging residents to “have supplies and a plan for sheltering in place for at least 72 hours with a potential power outage.”
County spokeswoman Shannon Eubanks said it’s crucial that residents stay off the roads during and after the storm. “Our emergency management vehicles need to be able to get to folks—they can’t have wrecked vehicles blocking their progress,” Eubanks wrote in an email to the Advance.
Spotsylvania County has also declared a local emergency, effective Thursday and lasting through the duration of the storm, spokeswoman Michelle McGinnis said.
“A local declaration allows a city or county to request additional resources from the state, bypass certain procurement procedures to speed up repairs, and activate local emergency operations plans,” she said. “The Sheriff’s Office is increasing staff to make sure there are adequate resources available to assist residents during the storm, if necessary.”
Mary Washington Healthcare
The storm could make roads impassable for several days. Consequently, Mary Washington Healthcare is encouraging people to plan ahead.
“As winter weather approaches, we encourage community members to make sure they have adequate medications and essential supplies at home, especially if road conditions become hazardous,” said Kendra Gerlach, Vice President of Marketing, Corporate Communications and MWHC Spokesperson. “Refilling prescriptions early can help avoid disruptions in care if travel is limited.”
Individuals with scheduled appointments should check mwhc.com for the most up‑to‑date information on delays, closures, or changes in hours before making the trip.
“Community members who do not have a reason to be at the hospital are asked to remain at home and are encouraged to limit all non-essential travel in the area for the duration of the storm,” Gerlach said.
VDOT’s winter storm plans
VDOT crews began pre-treating Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area, as well as “primary and high-volume secondary roads across the district” with brine solution on Thursday and will continue today, according to a press release.
“Pre-treatment helps to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement during winter storms and assists our crews with snow removal,” the press release states.
VDOT has “more than 200 pieces of equipment dedicated to plowing and treating” the 50 miles of interstate—including travel lanes, ramps, shoulders, bridges, and overpasses—that pass through Caroline, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, and Stafford, according to the press release.
VDOT crews focus first on plowing and treating roads that carry the most traffic, such as I-95 and primary routes (routes numbered 1 to 599, and Route 610 in Stafford County). Other priorities are secondary roads that connect with critical emergency service facilities.
While the storm is underway, crews will make repeated passes on these priority routes “to keep them open and treated for emergency responders and other essential service providers,” the press release states.
Other motorists should “not travel during this storm and immediately after the storm ends. Plan now to arrive at your destination before the storm begins Saturday or delay travel until after the storm ends and road conditions have improved.”
After the storm and once the priority routes are cleared, VDOT will work on clearing secondary routes (those numbered 600 and above) and subdivision streets, according to the press release.
Potential for accumulation concerns power companies
Jeremy Slayton, media relations specialist for Dominion Energy—which provides power to 2.8 million customers in Virginia—said the greatest concern for power outages is ice accumulation greater than a quarter of an inch, which is possible in the Fredericksburg area.
“This amount of ice can add additional weight to power lines and can cause trees and large tree limbs to fall onto power lines, which is the leading cause of power outages,” Slayton wrote in an email to the Advance.
Dominion prepares for major storms year-round by trimming trees along power lines, burying power lines in “the most outage prone areas,” and replacing older poles with more resilient ones, Slayton said.
“Hundreds of Dominion Energy crews and support personnel will be fully mobilized and prepared to respond,” he said. “We have secured additional crews from contractors and peer utilities in other states, and we will continue to work to secure more crews through our mutual assistance partners. We will work around the clock to restore everyone’s power as safely and quickly as possible.”
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, which provides power to 184,000 connections in 22 Virginia counties, including Spotsylvania and Caroline, has also been preparing for the winter storm. Casey Hollins, REC’s managing director for communications and public relations, said plans are in place for staging crews throughout the coverage area.
“In addition to operational readiness, we’re focused on helping our members prepare. We’re encouraging everyone to assemble storm kits, review backup power, heating and medical power plans, and familiarize themselves with our outage reporting tools and Outage Center,” Hollins wrote in an email to the Advance. “Our goal is twofold: to be ready to respond quickly and safely, and to make sure our members have the information they need to stay safe and informed before, during and after the storm.”
Helpful Websites
Check road conditions at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, check the 511 Virginia mobile app or by calling 511.
Report a Dominion Energy power outage or check the outage map.
Report an REC outage or check the outage map.
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