Richland County is preparing for the possibility of severe winter weather in the area Sunday, Jan. 16, and County staff also encourages residents to be as prepared as possible.
Ahead of possible snow, ice and freezing rain, the County’s Public Works Department is pretreating roads deemed critical Thursday, Jan. 13 and Friday, Jan. 14 to aid with melting. These include but are not limited to:
- Northeast Richland: Summit Parkway, Longreen Parkway, Carlton Drive
- Lower Richland: Chain Gang Road, Goodwin Way, Hickory Ridge Drive
- Irmo/Ballentine: Kennerly Road, Shady Grove Road
Parking lots and driveways for Richland County fire stations, Sheriff’s Department stations and the County Administration Building are also considered critical and are being pretreated.
If a winter storm occurs, Public Works staff will be on call to help with storm-related maintenance and added de-icing and will assist the S.C. Department of Transportation as needed.
Staying Safe and Prepared
Residents can sign up to receive emergency notifications via phone, text or email by visiting the County’s Emergency Preparedness page: www.richlandcountysc.gov/Emergency-Preparedness. Real-time weather updates are available on the County’s weather-monitoring site: rcwinds.com.
The S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) has these tips for residents in the event of severe weather:
- If travel is unnecessary, it's best to stay off the roads. If you must travel, ensure your vehicle is in good condition. Check your fluids, battery and tires. Ensure your phone and mobile devices are charged and you have extra blankets and snacks in case of delays. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies only.
- If you lose power, learn how to report the outage to your utility company and have alternate and safe means of staying warm.
- Monitor local media for information about warming shelters operated by local organizations.
- Freezing temperatures can burst water pipes in homes without heat or proper insulation. Wrap exposed pipes or take other measures to insulate them from the cold.
- Have alternative heating sources ready. If you have a fireplace, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood. Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure your family knows how to use them.
- Properly vent kerosene heaters to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, do not burn charcoal indoors.
- Never operate a portable generator indoors.
- Check on residents who might need extra help during winter weather.
For more safety tips, visit the SCEMD’s site: scemd.org.