GREENFIELD — Hancock County is among several central Indiana counties preparing for a potentially dangerous winter storm, as residents stock up on supplies and highway crews get ready to treat icy roads.
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Some residents say they’re taking extra precautions ahead of the weekend weather.
“When we hear snow, we’re getting supplies,” shopper Nitigna Patel
said.
Another added they’re making sure to have “extra gas for our generator.”
At the same time, the Hancock County Highway Department is preparing its fleet to respond.
County Engineer Gary Pool said crews will be ready to work long hours once the storm arrives.
“We’ll have ten trucks running for twelve-hour shifts,” Pool told WRTV. He added that crews won't be working overnight to avoid getting accidents and getting stuck.
A key part of the county’s storm response is treating roads with salt, which helps break up ice and improve driving conditions after plows remove snow. But Pool said salt supplies have already been stretched thin this winter.
“We’ll usually go through between 1,200 and 2,000 tons of salt a year...we've already been through 1200," Pool said. “December had a lot of snow events, and even a small event can use up salt.”
Because of that, Pool said the county has had to be more mindful of how much salt it uses.
That approach has also allowed Hancock County to help neighboring communities when needed.
“We’ve shared some salt with New Palestine,” Pool said. “The state shares some salt with Carmel.”
Right now, Hancock County has about 800 tons of salt remaining, with each ton costing roughly $100.
Pool said as much as half of that supply could be used during the upcoming storm.
“We’ll be real stingy with it until it warms up,” he said.
Using salt during extreme cold can also be ineffective, which is why Pool told WRTV it's important they're mindful when putting it down.
“If you put the salt in the ice, it’ll freeze the pavement extra hard,” he said, explaining that additional snow can then freeze into solid layers of ice.
To prepare for future storms, Pool said the county has already ordered more salt, though deliveries by train can be limited statewide.
“They can only bring so much into the state at a time,” he said.
Residents say they’re concerned about driving conditions if the storm hits as expected.
“I’m nervous to drive when the roads aren’t cleared,” said Patel told WRTV. “I hope the city does a good job of keeping them cleared.”
Pool said no matter how much preparation goes into the response getting roads clear and safe is a balancing act.
“No matter what we do, it’s going to be slick and tough driving all next week,” he said, urging drivers to be patient and avoid unnecessary travel if possible.
He told WRTV they will be working closely with their state and their number one priority is getting the main roads clear then they will move to neighborhoods.
Pool said that he has already out in an order for 800 more tons of salt that is expected to come ahead of the next big storm event.
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Naja Woods started her journalism career in 2019 after graduating from Knox College in Illinois. She’s always looking forward to making a difference by empowering the diverse communities throughout the area and helping share their unique perspectives through storytelling. Share your story ideas and important issues with Naja by emailing news@wrtv.com.
