MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Many people around the Mid-South braved the cold Sunday night to buy groceries or fill up their gas tanks before a winter storm moved into the area.
“I usually have things stocked up at home anyway so I just take it like a normal day,” Ramon Moses, who lives in Midtown, said.
Moses said he was looking forward to snow but hoped the city and county did their parts to be prepared.
“I hope that they are making sure that the roads are safe for those who are going to be forced to go to work,” Moses said.
“We’re going to have resources devoted to this event until the threat is clear,” Director Dale Lane, with the Shelby Co. Office of Preparedness, said.
Lane said the emergency operations center was opened at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
“We’ll right now what we’re doing is staying in close contact with the National Weather Service, making sure that we see any immediate changes that’re going on,” Lane explained.
Memphis crews coated the roads with brine all day on Friday, and the state salted the highways on Saturday.
Workers were on standby to treat the roads again on Saturday night once the weather was expected to strike.
“Even treated roadways they’re dangerous and so we won’t be able to slow down,” Lane said.
Dale said the winter weather can cause ice to pile up on trees and fall over.
“Don’t panic. We’re going to stay one step ahead. We just need you to be really careful as you get out and travel,” Lane said.
People, like Moses, who planned on braving the cold to work on Monday morning said they will be doing all they can to stay safe and warm.
“I will have have to have on my wool coat, scarf, everything I’ve got,” Moses said.
