Wet weather causes delays, flooding and felled trees across region

Jan. 9—Weather conditions from a strong system that swept through the area Tuesday closed schools in Monongalia and Preston counties and caused traffic delays, vehicle accidents and power outages. It also brought down more than a few tree limbs.

The Dominion Post spoke with meteorologist Shannon Hefferan with the National Weather Service (NWS) just before 4 p.m. Tuesday and the region had received around 1 inch of rain, on average.

High-wind gusts were recorded reaching 54 mph in the Morgantown area.

Temperatures rose to about 50 degrees by the afternoon and were expected to fall to just above freezing moving into Wednesday.

"It shouldn't be an issue for roads in the morning for icy conditions with the rain, " Hefferan said.

The rain is expected to turn to snow near dawn as a cold front moves through and it will still be windy, she said.

Wednesday temperatures are expected to reach the upper 30s with some snow showers in the area. Accumulation is expected to be around a half inch into Wednesday night.

Prior to Tuesday's storm, Governor Jim Justice declared a State of Preparedness for all 55 West Virginia counties in anticipation of high-wind warnings, winter-weather advisories and flood watches predicted by NWS.

The declaration, which went into effect in the early morning hours of Tuesday, allowed the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to ready personnel and resources for quick response to any emergency that may develop.

Jimmy Smith, director of Monongalia County Emergency Management Agency (MECCA 911), said six vehicle accidents had been reported in the Monongalia County area and another six motorist assists from people sliding off the roadway. Most of those calls came during the morning commute.

As the weather warmed up, there was a report of some flooding on Van Voorhis Road, which Smith said was likely attributed to a clogged storm drain.

"The biggest issue is starting to become trees coming down, " Smith said Tuesday afternoon. "We've had about eight reported trees come down all over the county from Tyrone Road to Mason-Dixon Highway to Snake Hill. That's the big concern as the ground becomes more and more saturated and the winds are going to start picking up tonight and tomorrow—the amount of trees to come down.

"Keep an eye out, especially as this wind picks up, " he advised. "Like I said, the ground is very saturated—you could be driving and come around a turn and there could be a tree down along the road. So, just drive with caution and keep your eyes open."

Power outages were also reported in several areas, with about 9, 300 Mon Power customers having been affected by weather-related outages as of 1 p.m. Tuesday.

According to FirstEnergy Spokesperson Hannah Catlett, crews had restored power to more than 4, 700 of those customers and were working as quickly and safely as possible on restoring the rest.

A press release about the company's preparations for the expected weather stated they had storm-response plans in place including around-the-clock coverage of storm personnel, with additional internal operators, damage assessors and analysts at distribution control centers to assist with high volumes of outage calls.

The company cautions that sustained winds and heavy rain could slow restoration efforts, as crews cannot safely operate bucket trucks when wind speeds exceed 40 mph. Saturated soil and flooding can also hinder access and create hazardous conditions for crews working to make repairs.

Should widespread power outages occur, the company says the formal restoration process focuses on addressing widespread outages first, before tackling more isolated issues.

"FirstEnergy personnel prioritize clearing hazards like downed power lines, trees and blocked roads to ensure public safety. Employees must also assess the damage to enable line crews to access outage sites and initiate safe repairs, " the press release states.

Another system is expected to move through the area over the weekend with more rain, high winds and some snow, Hefferan predicted ; however, temperatures will be colder.

"It will be kind of cold on the back side as temperatures drop into the teens, " she said. "It will mainly affect the region starting Friday night and go all the way into Sunday. The cold should kick in Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Temperatures will drop into the teens: 18 degrees is the low for Saturday night with the high temperature on Sunday near 29 degrees."

The NWS does expect to see some snow accumulation over the weekend, but Hefferan said it is too soon for accurate estimates.

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