DYERSBURG, Tenn. -— Parts of Northwest Tennessee, including the City of Dyersburg, are currently under an Ice Storm Warning. In light of that, city crews in Dyersburg are on high alert.
“It’s extremely dangerous,” street department superintendent Mike McCulloch said, “You can slide off the road anywhere and we’ve got some pretty good size ditches and creeks around here.”
WREG’s weather experts predict freezing rain which could result in up to half an inch of ice on the ground. McCulloch says his workers are ready to salt roads using a fleet of well-equipped vehicles. The priority is bridges, hills and streets leading to the hospital or crucial businesses like pharmacies.
“Places like that where people will need to get to go.We’ll work on those areas first and then we’ll move to the rest of the city,” McCulloch said.
The city has plenty of heavy duty equipment for icy conditions including smaller tractors which crews use to salt narrow roadways and parking lots.
Homeowners are getting ready for the treacherous weather too and some, like Jason Binkley, have been ready for quite some time.
“Oh yeah, since like October, November I’ve been having my house winterized and ready for cold weather just being prepared,” Binkley said.
If the ice does come in earnest, McCulloch offers this warning.
“If you don’t have to get out don’t get out but if you do give yourself plenty of time to stop. Leave plenty of distance between vehicles,” he said, “Just pay more attention than you normally would.”
TDOT says crews are prepared to salt highways in the Dyersburg area as need be.
