STAY HOME

Stay home.

That was the advice from local emergency officials this morning after more than a foot of snow was dumped on Jay County beginning Monday afternoon and continuing through the night. The county was under a travel warning, meaning roads may be impassable and travel should be limited to emergencies only.

Jay County Commissioners on Monday evening issued a disaster emergency declaration because of snow and wind that were causing blowing and drifting roadways. The declaration allows the county to “invoke those portions of the Indiana Code which are applicable to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this declaration to be in full force and effect in the county for the exercise of all necessary emergency measures necessary for protection of lives and property and the prompt restoration of local government services.”

All Jay County government offices were closed today.

Amy Blakely, Jay County Emergency Management director, encouraged staying off the roads so highway plows can get through easier.

“If people are able to stay home and off the roadways, that will be a big help,” Blakely said. “If you do have to venture out, have some sort of emergency kit with you, make sure you have your cellphone charged and if possible, a blanket, if you do get stranded.”

Jay County Highway Department superintendent Donnie Corn said his plows are being prioritized for the roads leading in and out of cities and towns before being sent to the rest of the county roads.

“Right now, our plan is to get them open,” Corn said. He did not have an estimate on when he expects that to be the case.

This is the heaviest snowfall in Jay County since Corn took over as superintendent two years ago. His advice for anyone driving on county roads is to give department trucks room and the right-of-way to allow roads to be cleared in a timely manner.

Police chiefs in Portland and Dunkirk concurred.

“No one should be out driving around,” Portland Police Chief Josh Stephenson said, noting the travel restrictions. “They should be in their homes.”

Dunkirk Police Chief Dane Mumbower agreed, saying that the county roads are especially bad.

Light snow was falling through much of the day Monday before beginning to turn heavier during the afternoon hours. By the time folks were heading home from work, conditions were deteriorating with travel on Indiana 67 between Portland and Redkey considerably slower than the speed limit because of the snowy conditions.

Blakely explained wind is one factor making road conditions dangerous. Winds blew at 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 25 mph this morning, and there are expected northwest winds at 10 to 15 mph this afternoon.

“Hopefully the wind dies down, but when that wind is blowing and it’s this kind of snow, it’s hard for them to keep the roadways clear,” Blakely said.

There’s more severe weather ahead for the county as tonight’s low is expected to be near zero with wind chills as low as negative-10. Another inch or two of snow is expected to fall Wednesday night and Thursday. And even when the snow stops, the county isn’t expected to see a high in the 30s until Sunday.

Jay County was under a winter weather advisory beginning at 4 a.m. Sunday, and that shifted to a winter storm warning that ran from Sunday evening through this morning.

Jay County Emergency Management Agency first issued a travel advisory, the lowest restriction level, late Monday morning. It shifted to a travel watch about 6 p.m. Monday and then moved to a warning at 9:15 p.m. and remained there as of press time today.

Every county in Indiana was under a travel restriction as of this morning, with Blackford, Adams and Wells counties all under warnings. Randolph and Delaware counties were both under watches.

Jay School Corporation superintendent Jeremy Gulley made the decision about 4:15 p.m. Monday that schools would be closed today. (Schools were also closed Monday in anticipation of the winter storm that began in earnest Monday afternoon.)

Jay County Sheriff Duane Ford noted that he chose to work from home this morning. He said officers were not citing non-emergency personnel for driving on roads.

Dispatch worker Mike Conatser left his home in Dunkirk on Monday evening and slept in the training room at Jay County Sheriff’s Office prior to his shift this morning. The office has received several calls, he said, and there were some stranded vehicles along roads. As of this morning, no large wrecks were reported.

Portland and Dunkirk police departments have had no traffic accidents reported since snowfall began Monday afternoon.

Stephenson, who was one of the few at Portland City Hall, which is closed today, said he picked up one of the police department’s dispatchers on county road 200 South on the west side of Jay County this morning. He advised for anyone who has to travel to let someone else know where they’re going and to bring needed supplies like food, a cell phone and blankets and to completely clear the car and headlights of snow.

“It’s little things like that that can make the difference between a quick rescue and a long rescue,” Stephenson said.

Fort Recovery Village Administrator Randy Diller helped shovel snow around the village this morning. He noted as of 9 a.m. this morning that while the village is snow-covered, all roads are passable.

“If (locals) can get out of their driveway, they can get around,” Diller said.