SUFFOLK, Va. — With snow in the forecast for Hampton Roads, businesses such as landscapers and hardware stores were gearing up on Thursday.
“I’m getting plows ready. Salt and ice melt, getting my guys ready," said landscaper John Wilkinson.
News 3 caught up with him as he was leaving an auto parts store, where he was ensuring his truck was ready for the storm.
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"Making sure my trucks are up to date as far as batteries and so forth," Wilkinson explained.
He and fellow landscaper Adam Varner were looking forward to the potential for a little extra money and expected to be busy over the weekend.
“As bad as it may sound sometimes, having the snow come in allows us to keep our employees full-time. It allows, sometimes, to even have a little overtime, which is always a good thing before and after Christmas to pay those Christmas bills," Varner said.
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Taylor's Do It Center on Colley Avenue in Norfolk didn't appear very busy on Thursday morning, but assistant manager David Price expected increased activity soon.
He showed News 3 an assortment of items the hardware store had in stock— including tarps, rope, tape, and flashlights— that are essential for winter weather preparation.
Regarding the most in-demand item, Price noted that it varies based on the situation.
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“A lot of tarps leave because you find out people have holes in their roof. But mostly, your salts, shovels, tape, or even your insulation for your windows to keep the cold air out," Price said.
In Suffolk, the Public Works Department had a large pile of salt-sand mix set up for easy access for trucks to spread on the roads as needed. The department also demonstrated its capability to use trucks to apply brine on the roads.
As a reminder, high-traffic roads, such as interstates, typically get plowed first, followed by side streets and neighborhood roads. Moving your car out of the road, if possible, is also a good idea to give plows as much room as possible.
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“We start off by applying material. We melt as much as we can. Then, if it gets to be icy or whatever, then we’ll plow as we’re applying material," said Suffolk Public Works Operations Assistant Director Karl Marshall. "We don’t get an opportunity to use our plows and our spreaders on a regular basis, so it does get to be kind of exciting. ‘It’s snowing! The snow’s going to come!’ It gets kind of exciting. There’s a buzz in the room, a buzz in the building."
The city has six maintenance zones, each with five to six trucks and about 250 tons of the salt-sand mixture. Crews will work twelve-hour shifts in each zone to keep the roads clear as the storm moves through.
