Blizzard blankets Mahaska County

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December 10, 2009

By ANDY GOODELL

OSKALOOSA — To say it was nasty out there Wednesday may be an understatement.

According to Mahaska County Emergency Management Coordinator Jamey Robinson, accumulated snow amounts in the city of Oskaloosa came to 12 inches. He added, snow drifts measured as high as 4 to 5 feet.

Drifting snow like this caused Robinson to initiate closure of Highway 63 between Oskaloosa and New Sharon just before 10 a.m. Wednesday. Robinson issued a request to the Iowa Department of Transportation at that time.

“There are a lot of curves on that road,” explained Robinson in a Herald interview Wednesday morning. “It’s a combination of the drifting and limited visibility. People don’t see the drift until they’re in it.”

With increasing wind speeds through out the day, road conditions went from bad to worse throughout the day Wednesday, said Robinson.

When asked if other roadways would be closed, Robinson said it that was a likely scenario.

Robinson said that, despite warnings from multiple media outlets, some local residents were not prepared for Wednesday’s crippling blizzard conditions.

“We took some infant formula out to a residence already today,” said Robinson Wednesday.

Early on in the day Wednesday, Robinson said many local residents attempted to drive to work. Fortunately, Robinson said there were no accidents as a result of the slow and arduous commute.

Civilian drivers were not the only ones exercising their winter weather driving skills Wednesday. Robinson said many snow plows could not do their jobs because of white-out conditions on the roads. He said plow operators had to wait until Wednesday evening to even consider plowing roadways.

Robinson said his and other emergency responding departments were prepared to use 4-wheel-drive vehicles to rescue those stuck on the roadways. He added, civilians should not attempt to rescue those stuck on or on the side of roadways because of the possibility that they themselves could be stuck.

As of Wednesday morning, Robinson said he will keep in continuous contact with Iowa’s state emergency service and continue to monitor weather conditions as they develop.

For more information on road and weather conditions as they develop, visit www.mahaskaready.com.

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com

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Reg Randau speaks at a candidate forum at Smokey Row back in May. At the time, he was running as a Republican for a seat on the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors. Now he’s running as an Independent.