Wind, cold make digging out a losing battle

Snow stopped falling in Putnam County on Sunday night but that was when things started to get really ugly.

With a foot of snow on the ground, conditions could be challenging enough, but winds and extreme cold moving into the area have made plowing county roads nearly impossible in some areas.

"The roads are horrible," Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Helmer told the Banner Graphic Monday afternoon.

Snow is drifting as high as six or seven feet in some places in the northern part of the county.

The drifts, coupled with temperatures that dropped as low as -11 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, have made fighting the snow extremely difficult.

Provided the trucks can even start and then remain running in the cold, roads drift back over almost as soon as they are plowed.

The low temperatures also take away one of the department's main tools in clearing roads, as it is too cold for salt to melt snow and ice.

Helmer praised the public for not venturing out into these extreme conditions. With the county remaining under a Level 1 snow emergency (warning) until at least noon on Tuesday, emergency personnel have seen very few motorists.

"We've had some slide offs," Helmer reported, "but people have mostly heeded the warning."

A Level 1 declaration dictates that travel may be restricted to emergency personnel only.

This is imperative, he said, because even when conditions allow for more extensive plowing, a vehicle stranded in the middle of a snowy roadway is only another hindrance to opening the road.

The EMA has also activated its Citizens Emergency Response Team, with members responded to areas of the county experiencing power outages.

The CERT members are taking the rescued residents to Red Cross emergency shelters that have opened at South Putnam High School, the Bainbridge Community Center and the Floyd Township Fire Department.

Even the National Guard has responded in Putnam County, called in to rescue residents from a pair of homes that CERT volunteers were unable to reach safely.

The EMA director expressed his gratitude for this and other partnerships in keeping Putnam County safe.

"I want to put a plug in for the State Police," Helmer said. "They are doing an excellent job out on the interstate (I-70)."

Helmer urged residents to remain patient, as digging out from this storm will take time. With the travel warning still in effect, he reported that county offices will remain closed on Tuesday.

The City of Greencastle previously reported that its offices will be closed until at least noon on Tuesday.

Additionally, Cloverdale, Greencastle, North Putnam and South Putnam schools will all be closed on Tuesday. Likewise, Old National Trail Special Services and the Putnam County Public Library are also closed.

Area 30 Career Center has not reported a Tuesday closure, but all of its member schools have already canceled.

DePauw University will also be closed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.