Lowndes County Update, 5:45 p.m.
According to the Tallahassee Division of the National Weather Service, Lowndes County remains under a Winter Storm Warning. Please encourage citizens to limit travel tomorrow if possible as travel conditions are expected to deteriorate during early morning hours. Shelter space is available as follows:
Grace Fellowship Church 1304 West Hill Ave.
Salvation Army on Virginia Avenue
New Horizons 714 Charlton Street
Pets are also of concern tonight and through the rest of the week. Local ordinances require pets to be properly cared for during periods of extreme cold. While it is ideal to bring pets inside, not everyone can accommodate them. For this reason, Lowndes County Animal Services has FREE hay available for pick-up as needed at the animal shelter, 337 Gil Harbin Boulevard.
Lowndes County Public Works crews are monitoring county roads for the duration and would like to remind citizens that bridges may ice before roadways. Those that must travel are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when crossing local bridges. This being the case, employers are encouraged to allow employees additional commute time tomorrow.
Local fire departments would like to remind citizens using space heaters to make sure they are in good working order. Heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including papers, clothing curtains, bedding and rugs. Historically, freezing temperatures in our community result in an increase in house fires. Many times these fires are due to faulty heating systems, poorly maintained space heaters, or other alternative heating methods such as citizens leaving oven doors open or stoves on, in an attempt to heat their homes.
Office Closing/Delays:
-St. John Catholic School will be closed Wed. Jan 3rd due to the anticipated winter storm warning.
-The City of Remerton Admin offices will be closed all day tomorrow.
-SGRL Libraries closed
-Due to the impending winter storm, all libraries in the SGRL system will be closed tomorrow, January 3, 2018. We wish for all to keep safe in the inclement weather.
-Due to anticipated winter weather conditions in our area, all South Health District, clinics and the health departments in Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift and Turner counties will be closed on Wednesday, January 3. Offices and the health departments are expected to reopen on Thursday, January 4.
-Brookfield Academt will have a delayed opening at 10 a.m. Jan. 3
-All Southeastern Credit Union Branches will have a delayed opening of 10:30 am due to the Winter Storm Warning on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. Stay safe and warm everyone.
**The SCU Moody Branch will open at 11:00 am tomorrow, January 3**
Please check our website www.southhealthdistrict.com, Facebook page www.facebook.com/southhealthdistrict and Twitter page www.twitter.com/southhealthdist for up-to-date information.
-Lowndes County will be delaying opening offices until 9:00 a.m. No court has been cancelled.
-The City of Valdosta remains open and operating under normal business hours.
Weather:
“Lowndes County is currently under a Winter Storm Warning. The NWS Tallahassee is forecasting freezing rain, sleet and/or snow between 4AM and 10AM Wednesday. Snow amounts of up to 1” are possible with ice accumulations of ¼” likely. This combination will create extremely hazardous travel conditions. Freezing conditions will persist until noon tomorrow at which time there will be a short period of above freezing temperatures before they drop again tomorrow evening. Hopefully this will allow time for the ice to melt and surfaces to dry. At this time the forecast does not call for icy road conditions beyond tomorrow afternoon but we will continue to monitor conditions.” –EMA DIRECTOR, Ashley Tye
The City of Valdosta Utilities Department offers the following tips for citizens to prevent frozen house pipes this winter.
Be sure pipes in unheated parts of your home, including crawl spaces, are insulated. Foam insulation for water pipes can be found at any home improvement or hardware store. The foam is typically split down the middle so it can be easily wrapped around the exposed pipes.
Remove hoses from outside faucets and be sure they are drained and shut off.
Advise all household members where the main shut-off valve is located in case of an emergency.
If you will be away from home for an extended time, shut off the water supply and drain the system.
If you have experienced problems in the past during freezing periods, keep a trickle of water running from the faucet highest in the house. This trickle should be a steady stream the size of the lead in a pencil.
Insulate or cover exposed backflow prevention devices on fire lines and irrigation systems.
Commercial water customers should also wrap any fire lines in their buildings. Disconnect any outside water hoses from spigots, as water trapped inside can freeze and crack the hose.
If you have a pool, allow your pool pump to run during hours of extreme cold. The circulating water will not freeze and will prevent costly damage to your pumping and filtering equipment.
You can also visit: https://www.wikihow.com/prevent-frozen-water-pipes for additional tips on freeze protection.
EMA Lowndes:
Cold Weather Update 1/2 3:10 p.m. – From the NWS Tallahassee Division: Freezing rain and sleet likely after 2am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 27. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Extreme cold is a danger to pets. If you cannot bring them inside, please take steps to keep them warm. Lowndes County Animal Services is offering FREE hay to anyone needing extra bedding for pets, 337 Gil Harbin Industrial Boulevard. This is not “food grade” hay, please do not feed it to livestock.
