WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Another winter storm is heading our way, and with snow expected across Hampton Roads this weekend, city leaders in Williamsburg are already planning ahead.
"The roads are going to be most likely treacherous and slippery and dangerous," said Larry Snyder, deputy fire chief for the City of Williamsburg.
That's causing city leaders to focus on pre-treating the roads now to stay ahead.
"Today they will start brining and pre-treating our primary and secondary roadways. They're preparing their trucks and plows for salt and sand," Snyder said.
Emergency management leaders have also partnered with the Virginia Department of Transportation to get extra help if needed. VDOT leaders said similar to last weekend’s storm, they will have extra crews on hand to operate more than 300 trucks equipped with plows.
"Richmond Poad is going to be a focus for us, as it's a thoroughfare through the city, and our public works team will continue to monitor surveillance. They're going to have 24-hour shifts starting Friday," Snyder said.
However, snow is not the only concern. This storm is also expected to bring strong winds, and Dominion Energy leaders are taking extra precaution.
Paula Miller with Dominion Energy said, "We’re prepared, we’re ready to roll, we know there's going to be outages."
Miller said with the snow weighing down on trees and the wind picking up, it can pull down branches and cause them to fall on a power line.
"Sometimes those power lines are snow-covered, that's why you have to be very careful. Assume they're energized, that's why our crews are adamant that people not go near a downed power line because it could be energized," Miller said.
With power outages being a concern, Dominion Energy leaders said many families will turn to their generators.
"Make sure that's it fueled, tested and properly connected before the storm arrives. Make sure it's used outdoors," Miller said.
Crews in Williamsburg will solely focus on the city roads only. Leaders tell News 3 they have been in contact with shelters to help the homeless if need be.
