(This article, reprinted with permission, featuring Bexley and the "Blizzard of 2008," appeared in Bexley News on March 12, 2008)  4/20/08

City digs out with usual determination

By SARA JOHNSON

Just like those in other Columbus suburbs, Bexley's street department crews worked day in and day out throughout the weekend to remove the massive amount of snow that blanketed the city Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8.

According to Accuweather, 15.4 inches of snow fell Saturday, setting a new 24-hour record for Columbus. For the two-day storm, 20.5 inches of snow was recorded, a new single-storm record for Columbus.

Ninety percent of flights were canceled Saturday and delays abounded at the Port Columbus International Airport.

Bexley saw similar snow amount figures. Bexley declared a level two snow emergency at 2 p.m. Friday, putting it into effect at 4 p.m. No parking was allowed on any city streets wherever possible. The emergency expired at 6 a.m. Sunday, said Bill Harvey, Bexley's service director.

Residents who left their vehicles on the streets ran the risk of their vehicles being plowed in. Police could ticket or even tow vehicles in order to clear snow from the streets. But for the most part, residents were very cooperative with the city, Harvey said. The city realizes that in some areas, people do not have an alternative place to park their vehicles, he said.

Street department crews worked in 12-hour shifts starting at noon Friday and going until around 7 a.m. Sunday.

"I'm just really glad that our crews know how to handle this," Harvey said. "They knew how to handle the snow, and got it off the streets quickly. I was able to rely on their experience and judgment, and they did a great job."

For each shift, four workers went out with a mechanic standing by to handle any possible technical problems with the plowing trucks, said Dan O'Neal, assistant service superintendent. O'Neal experienced around 20 hours of overtime for himself, and the majority of snow crew workers had about the same amount of overtime hours, he said.

"I've been here 28 years, and it's the most snow I have ever seen here," O'Neal said. "All in all, I think things went real well. The 12-hour shifts worked well as the guys were able to get some sleep and come back. Our equipment also held up very well with no major breakdowns, so that was a big plus."

The city salted some of the area on Friday as well as on the morning of Monday, March 10. They used about five truck loads of salt, or 50 tons, throughout the snow storm.

"It was a lot of snow, but we have a dedicated crew that have all been here 20-plus years, as far as the guys that are driving the trucks," he said. "They (crew members) know the routine, and we just go out and do it."

Bexley has around 75 tons of salt on hand. The city expects to receive around 200 tons sometime this week, with the capability of housing 300 tons. Since the first snowfall in December, the city has used somewhere between 600 and 700 tons of salt.

Police reports stated Bexley had two accidents related to the snowfall this past weekend. An accident on Sunday, March 9, involved a vehicle traveling on northbound on South Merkle Road from Fair Avenue sliding into a vehicle parked on South Merkle Road. The second accident involved a legally parked vehicle on North Merkle Road being hit by an unknown vehicle sometime between 9 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Bonnie Becker, a dispatcher at the police station, said the power went out from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday due to a malfunctioning generator. The 911 lines stayed open because they are hard-lined, but the police department's non-emergency calls were deferred to Whitehall, Becker said.

With the thaw beginning Sunday, Dave Hays, city code enforcement officer, asked residents to clear off the portions of sidewalk they are responsible for the safety of other residents.

"We would like to encourage residents to clean sidewalks and make it easier for residents to get around," Hays said. "We would ask residents to do it as part of being a good neighbor."

"They (crew members) know the routine, and we just go out and do it."

--Dan O'Neal

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