City of Barnesville officials are expecting conditions equal to – or more severe than – the worst ever ice storm here over the next 24-36 hours. Power outages are virtually a given. Be forewarned. Be prepared. Plan accordingly. This was info sent by city manager Kenny Roberts to local businesses after a GEMA webinar Tuesday morning. We are monitoring all the forecasts and, if they are correct and develop as anticipated, this system could equal the worst we have had in Barnesville in decades. Most troubling is the forecasts that the temperature will drop to 32 degrees around 3:00am Wednesday morning with rain and freezing temperatures continuing until 2:00 pm on Wednesday. Eleven hours of accumulation will create dangerous driving conditions locally but more seriously we will experience power outages due to trees and limbs falling on electrical lines. Our electrical department has done a great job maintaining and clearing our power line rights of way but with the magnitude of ice we are likely to experience problems. We have ALL CITY EMPLOYEES on standby and all public works and public safety employees are prepared to mobilize as soon as required. Our highest priority will be the safety of our employees as they work to restore power and protect the public from encounters with downed power lines. All work will be focused on the restoration of power and support to the electrical linemen. During the storm we will not allocate our limited resources to streets but will try to address dangerous intersections and sidewalks. If we see power outages are going to continue for extended periods we are prepared to open city facilities including the Civic Center, City Hall, Police Department, E.P. Roberts Center, and Fire Station to the public as comfort stations.
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