North Carolinians prepare for winter weather

North Carolinians prepare for winter weather (Added: January 30, 2010)

LUMBERTON -- Elisa Vega was not looking forward to the winter weather that hit the Lumberton area this weekend. But she knew she had to do several things to prepare for its arrival, anyway. ?Oh m ... (more)

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By Conan Gasque
Published: January 30, 2010

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Elisa Vega was not looking forward to the winter weather that hit the Lumberton area this weekend.

But she knew she had to do several things to prepare for its arrival, anyway.

"Oh my goodness, it's gonna be really bad out there," she said. "I have to bring in all the animals."

She also had to bring in plants, as well.

But she wasn't the only one in the area bracing for the snow and ice. Robeson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Johnny Hunt periodically checked his computer throughout the day Friday, looking for updates on the area's weather. Based on what he saw, he made the decision to postpone all area basketball games for Friday night.

"We don't want any of our buses or any of our fans or students on the roads that time of night traveling because of a school event," he said.

But probably no one worked harder to get ready for the storm to sweep through than the Department of Transportation. Officials in Robeson County began their preparations on Thursday morning by spraying a brine solution on all of the county's major roads. They say it works by lowering the freezing temperature of water, so it won't freeze as quickly on the roads. By mid-afternoon on Friday, workers had saturated the roads with more than 40,000 gallons of the solution.

"It's all done in the interest of public safety, trying to keep people safe," said Gene McKethan, Robeson County maintenance engineer for the NCDOT. "During the storm, I would encourage you, if you don't have to leave home - stay at home, because that gives us room to work, and keeps you safe as well," he said.

Vega's main concern before the storm was the safety of her animals. But after it's over, she says there will be other worries.

"The electric bill going up and everything is going to be killer," she said.

But she knows that using the heat is just another precaution she has to take to survive the storm.