As the city braces for the chilly embrace of a winter storm, the National Weather Service has issued a warning of freezing rain expected to begin early tomorrow morning, spilling into Thursday. City officials, keenly monitoring the situation, have their sights set on the skies as much as on the streets, preparing for the icy ballet that may ensue.
The City of Jacksonville remains vigilant and proactive, opting to keep the wheels of city operations turning, unless necessity dictates otherwise. Updates, if changes occur, will be promptly posted on the City of Jacksonville website and disseminated through social media channels. Meanwhile, the NC Department of Transportation has been tasked to begin brining roads, though the impending rain is likely to hamper its full potential. They are scheduled to start to also tackle the bridges with salt tomorrow as they prepare to face down any severe ice that threatens to grip the city's thoroughfares.
Making light of neither the labor of preparation nor the gravity of the storm, city staff are set to ensure safe passageways into city buildings by salting their entrances. The responsibility of care does not rest solely on their shoulders, as residents are urged to heed the biting call of caution, taking sensible steps to mitigate the impending icy conditions.
It falls on each individual's shoulders to take proactive measures. These include rethinking parking spots to avoid trees and power lines, ensuring pets are safely sheltered with ample water, keeping car wipers lowered after parking to avoid a frozen fixture, and to deeply consider commuting times, which may need to be generously extended on Thursday morning, especially in the event that the city finds itself cloaked in a blanket of ice.
