A level three snow emergency that was enacted Saturday morning was extended until this evening in an attempt to keep people off the roads so snow removal crews can do their jobs, Ashtabula County Sheriff William Niemi said.
He said the amount of snow has been difficult for city crews to keep up with, even with extra crews that have been called in from several counties to assist.
The snow emergency, which was declared Saturday morning through the Ashtabula County Emergency Management Agency opened the door for the extra help, EMA Director Mike Fitchet said.
Extra crews from the Ohio Department of Transportation have been assisting Ashtabula, Geneva and Conneaut, as well as Geneva-on-the-Lake, he said.
Geneva City Manager Joseph Varckette said he greatly appreciates all the help from the state, but it has still been challenging to keep the roads clear with the amount of snow and limited personnel. He said the city is closing non-essential offices Monday to try and keep people off the roads so snow removal crews can do their jobs. The city's IT department is working to make sure communications are intact and some city employees can work from home.
"We are doing what we can to keep the roads open," Varckette said.
All non-essential offices have also been closed Monday in Ashtabula and Conneaut, in addition to county offices. Ashtabula County Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said the continued level three emergency led the commissioners to close the non-essential offices, however, Ashtabula County Nursing Home employees and water and sewer workers will be on the job.
Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said the city is thankful for the ODOT crews, and hopes to get as much assistance as possible.
"We are going to push for as many resources as we can," he said.
One of the big problems on the horizon is the amount of snow.
"We have nowhere to put this snow," he said. "Once that starts melting we will have an even bigger problem."
The level three snow emergency was also expanded to parts of the county south of Interstate 90, Niemi said.
In the far southern part of the county, the weather continued to be relatively balmy.
"It's snowing, but not sticking," Andover Fire Chief Matt Bush said Sunday afternoon.
Dorset fire Chief Jared Rogge said there was about six inches of snow on the ground.
Rome Fire Chief Ed Koziol said there was limited snow in the southern part of the county.
"In Roaming Shores, it is a dusting, but in Rome I could mow the lawn," he said.
Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere confirmed the closing of city offices and said his crews have been working 12-hour shifts.
He said the city is allowed to run trucks for 16 hours, but he prefers to keep drivers fresh with 12-hour shifts.
Timonere said the city has had eight to 12 pieces of equipment on the road since salting began around 2:30 a.m. Friday. He said the snow has been coming so hard, and continual, it is hard to make a dent in the situation.
Fitchet said the Ohio Department of Transportation's Mike Strubbe has been coordinating extra ODOT plows in the three cities. He said snow crews in Roaming Shores, Jefferson, Orwell and Harpersfield have offered help for the northern cities as well.
The Ashtabula Area City Schools were scheduled to be closed Monday, but have also closed Tuesday, according to a post on the school district's website. One of the reasons is roof damage at Lakeside High School, AACS Superintendent Lisa Newsome said.
"Currently, there is substantial roof damage due to the amount of snow that was sitting on the roof and it has caused water damage in several classrooms due to pipes breaking," she said. "We are looking into the severity of the damage, as we believe the other side of the roof on the A wing of the building is also damaged," Newsome said.
She said only spots of the roof have been damaged.
© 2024 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
