Monitoring road conditions and power outages during the winter blast

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Multiple accidents have been reported around the Mid-South as we expect another day of cold temperatures and snow on Wednesday. Emergency workers say they want you to stay home.

The first arctic blast of 2023 left roads covered in snow and drivers blinded by the potential danger.

“If you have to go out, of course, keep a safe distance and watch your brakes and just turn carefully, and if you’re spinning, [go] in the direction of the wheel in this kind of thing. But the best advice I can give is if you don’t have to be out, don’t be out,” said Charles Newell, deputy director of Shelby County Emergency Management.

State, county and city crews treated highways and roads Monday and Tuesday.

But emergency officials are still warning drivers to stay off interstates, overpasses and roads to avoid accidents — like the Tuesday morning pile-up on Third Street near I-155 in Memphis or the multiple 18-wheeler crashes in Forrest City. Arkansas.

“If we have a wind storm, an ice storm or a snow storm or any kind of extreme weather that causes limbs to fall on our lines and onto our equipment, we will shut down,” said Gail Jones Carson, vice president of MLGW. on foreign affairs and society.

Tuesday’s wintry weather left MLGW customers without power all day.

MLGW officials say the utility is concerned about frozen trees, and they are encouraging residents to take precautions to avoid possible outages or broken pipes.

“They should never assume that MLGW knows that their services are out,” Jones Carson said. “They should always call us and let us know the services are out, and then that information will be in our system.”

Area businesses and school districts have already announced their closures ahead of another day of snow and freezing temperatures.

MPD’s weather accident policy also applies.

If you or someone you know is involved in an accident, make sure you and the person involved share insurance information and photos of the damage and file a police report with MPD within five days.

An officer will not respond to the scene of a crash unless it is serious.

An emergency warming center will also be open until 8 a.m. Thursday at the Greenlaw Community Center at 190 Mill Ave.

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