Just three weeks into January, state agencies, utility providers, and white flag shelters are all getting ready for extremely cold temperatures and winter conditions.
In preparation for potential snowfall on Tuesday evening, workers will begin applying brine to roads on Monday, according to a representative for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The impact of the cold may be greatest for community organizations and utility corporations.
Rev. Vance Haywood of the Second Street White Flag shelter, which assists the homeless, stated, “We are at capacity at this shelter every single night.”
So far in January, Wake County’s white flag shelters have been open every night.
“That’s the most consecutive nights we’ve had in the last four or five years of operating white flag shelters,” Haywood stated.
Haywood serves as the senior pastor at St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church, which is responsible for managing the white flag shelters in Wake County and providing services to over 300 individuals. Shelters are anticipating yet another hectic week ahead of them.
“We’re looking at potentially being below freezing for three or four days consecutively, and I don’t think we’ve seen that,” Haywood stated.
Because more people are cranking up the heat, the cold can also be a strain on the ability of energy companies to provide service.
“The cold factor drives demand for electricity,” Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks stated.
According to Brooks, the utility company has already made steps to reduce the number of power outages that occur as a result of strain on equipment.
“We’ve done walk downs at all of our power plants to make sure that the equipment is working properly. We’ve done cold weather protections in advance to help keep that equipment working well in extreme temperatures,” he stated.
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“Every degree you bump it closer to the outside temperature is going to save you money. If you’re going to be gone to work or school all day, then set it down a couple more degrees and that will save you even more,” he stated.
Additionally, Brooks suggested that you open the blinds on the side of your house that faces the sun and make use of ceiling fans in order to draw warm air downward.
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In terms of the wintery weather that is predicted to arrive, it is not a major concern if it happens to snow only. According to Brooks, ice is a more significant concern.
“When it comes to ice, that quarter-inch mark is really the key milestone you look for because when it gets above that, you start to see tree limbs come down and that can cause power outages across our system,” he added.
Utility workers are prepared to take action in the face of snow and dangerously low temperatures. The same is true for the employees of white flag shelters, which, according to Haywood, have the potential to save lives.
“Every year we see folks that come in for symptoms of frostbite or exacerbated health conditions because of the elements and because of the weather conditions. So that’s one of the reasons, again, we try to make sure that these spaces are available,” he stated.
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