Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 16, 1993 TAG: 9303160243
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER and RON BROWN STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
VA. DIGS OUT, COUNTS LOSSES
The toll from the blizzard of '93 climbed higher Monday as three more deaths were reported in Western Virginia.But travel on once-treacherous highways resumed as higher temperatures and busy road crews cleared icy debris.
Still, temperatures were expected to drop below freezing again Monday night. Temperatures today are predicted to climb into the 40s, and there is a possibility of rain or sleet.
At least 10 people in Western Virginia died as the result of the weather, most from overexertion while working in the snow.
In Wythe County, rescue workers had to walk as much as 2 miles and wade through snowdrifts 4 feet deep to reach a farmer who died Sunday afternoon while feeding his cattle. Rufus Hedrick, 74, died of an apparent heart attack.
"The road was drifted shut," said Alan West, president of the Wythe County Rescue Squad. "We drove as far as we could."
A state police rescue helicopter reached Hedrick first and shuttled rescue workers back to their vehicles.
Sheriff's deputies in Botetourt County found Martha F. Sowers, 80, lying dead in her yard on Country Club Road near Fincastle. She apparently had been going to feed the birds when she collapsed face first into about 2 feet of snow. A can of bird feed was found alongside her body, Sheriff Reed Kelly said.
The third Western Virginia death was in Rockingham County, where a 70-year-old Elkton man died Monday after shoveling snow, according to Emergency Service Director Joe Paxton.
Monday's sunshine and higher temperatures helped more than the snowplows to clear streets and highways. Crews still were working around the clock to scrape the roads, especially secondary routes in rural areas.
"The weather has helped us out a lot. It was warm enough so the [ice-melting] chemicals could begin to work," said Laura Bullock, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Bullock said the worst conditions were in the Wythe County area where Interstates 81 and 77 intersect. Many roads in Patrick County still were covered with snow and ice, she said.
In the Roanoke Valley, crews were concentrating on the secondary routes because Interstate 81 and primary highways are clear, she said.
The damage from the record storm mounted with the collapse of the snow-covered roof on the Stanley Furniture Outlet store at Towne Square Shopping Center near the Roanoke Regional Airport.
Three other stores in Towne Square were evacuated Monday because city fire inspectors feared their roofs would collapse, too.
District Fire Chief James Patton said the roof on a clothing store, a yogurt shop and a tax-preparation business was leaking but appeared to be structurally unsound.
Lowe's Building Supply in Salem also closed early Monday after some pipes burst in its sprinkler system, according to a spokesman for the Salem Fire Department. The spokesman also said metal roofing over the store's garden shop was showing signs of stress under heavy snow.
In Roanoke, snowplows moved into residential areas where many streets still were covered with packed snow and slush.
"We are making progress today. The main thoroughfares are in pretty good shape," said Jim McClung, the city's acting public works director. McClung estimated that 90 percent of the city's streets have been plowed and crews hope to clear the rest by today.
McClung asked residents to be patient about the street cleaning. Crews are finding it difficult to clear the streets because of the way the storm developed, he said. During the storm, there was rain, then slush, then freezing rain and then snow, which is now packed and frozen, he said.
Downtown, the packed snow on the streets began to melt by noon Monday after the temperature approached 40 degrees.
Because the snow was so deep - 18 to 20 inches in spots - the city is using a different approach to clear downtown streets. Rather than haul the snow away, crews have pushed snow into large piles, some 6 to 8 feet high, They hope the snow will melt in the next few days as the temperature rises.
As the snow melts, city workers will open the catch basins into the underground drainage system to prevent flooding, he said.
Hauling away snow is very expensive, especially large amounts, McClung said. It can also be difficult to find a site that is suitable for dumping the snow. "You have to make sure that you don't pollute any streams," he said.
If the snow does not melt quickly, McClung said, city officials might reconsider their decision and haul it away.
The storm already has cost the city about $200,000 in overtime costs, equipment maintenance, fuel and other supplies. If Western Virginia is declared a disaster area, the city would be eligible for federal reimbursement for its expenses.
State transportation officials did not have an immediate estimate of the cost for clearing roads in the region. But the state has brought in equipment and employees from Richmond and eastern Virginia to help with the cleanup.
There was so much snow and ice on the streets that Valley Metro buses did not operate Monday. "We checked the streets, and there was just too much ice for the buses," said Kathryn Pruitt, Valley Metro's assistant general manager.
Valley Metro hopes to be back on regular service today, Pruitt said.
The Roanoke Regional Airport reopened Monday after being closed since Saturday, although some flights were canceled or delayed because of conditions at other airports.
Keywords:
FATALITY