The head of Beaver County’s 911 center is telling residents they should heed warnings about a dangerous snow storm hitting the region this weekend.
Beaver County Emergency Services Director Eric Brewer said Beaver Countians should plan to stay at home on Sunday, as a foot of snow is expected to blanket the county in under a day.
“From the briefings we are getting from the weather services we are currently expecting to get 12 inches of snow starting around 4 a.m. Sunday morning,” Brewer told BeaverCountian.com. “The heaviest snowfall will last around 15 hours, but additional accumulation will occur into Monday morning.”
While 12 inches of snow is the most likely outcome, models show Beaver County not getting any less than 10 inches of snow and up to 18 inches.
Brewer said meteorologists expect Beaver County will see 10 continuous days of dangerously cold temperatures beginning Saturday that will not leave the single digits.
“We’ll be getting a lot of snow and it won’t be going anywhere for a good long while due to those cold temperatures,” said Brewer. “With that amount of snow we are of course worried about power outages that could be prolonged if they occur.”
Brewer said people should plan to stay at home on Sunday and not even consider travel that is not absolutely essential.
While the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be running its plows nonstop during the storm on major roads they maintain, many municipalities in the county may choose to wait until all the snow has fallen to begin clearing local roads.
Brewer said a storm of this nature requires people to make common sense preparations.
“Make sure you are stocked up on your normal supplies and don’t wait until the last minute to shop for them, go to the store now. Preparation is key,” said Brewer. “As members of the community we need to be good neighbors, check on the people living around you, especially the elderly.”
Beaver County is increasing staffing levels at its 911 operations center in anticipation of increased call volume.
“If you need help with things like heating, or social services, you can call 211. Obviously, you should call 911 in case of an emergency,” said Brewer.
“If your power goes out, please report it to your electric company. PennPower services the northern part of the county, with Duquesne Light servicing the rest. We will be watching overall county trends to monitor the impact of the storm so we can direct local resources if they’re needed.”
County Chairman Dan Camp told BeaverCountian.com officials will be monitoring the situation and make a decision before 7 a.m. Monday morning on whether to close the courthouse and other county buildings.
