By GREG JORDAN
PRINCETON — Freezing cold has people of the Virginias trying to stay warm and safe while local human service agencies work to provide them with options.
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va., was forecasting daytime temperatures in the low to upper 20s and nighttime lows from 15 to 10 degrees for the rest of the week. New snow accumulations of one to three inches were expected Monday night.
Cold lingering across southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia is tied to global weather circulation, said meteorologist Peter Corrigan. Sometimes weather patterns get “stuck” and do not move until some other factors influence them. The eastern third of the United States is now in a very deep “troth” of cold weather, he said.
“Essentially, nothing is moving,” Corrigan said.
The expected snow can be “very localized” according to the amount each part of the region receives.
“Some places get very little...other places, a whole bunch,” he said. For example, Greenbrier County was under a winter storm warning with five to 10 inches of snow while only two to five were expected in the Bluefield area of Mercer County.
Meanwhile, people with financial difficulties were seeking help to stay warm.
“That’s all we’ve done all day long,” said Capt. Kelly Goldfarb of the Salvation Army in Princeton. “People who have Appalachian Power or American Electric Power can get help through the Dollar Energy Program if they qualify.”
Clothing has been important, too.
“”We are doing quite a few clothing orders through the Thrift Store for winter coats, boots, things like that. We’re probably getting about 35 phone calls a day about help with keeping the heat on.”
The Salvation Army addresses heating needs on a case-by-case basis. Shelter was provided to one household that had lost all utilities due to financial problems.
Donations of good, quality winter clothing items and blankets to the Thrift Store can help, Goldfarb said.
“It really does serve a dual purpose because we’re able to provide good, quality winter clothing at the discount rate to the residents of Mercer County, and then the money we make is used to help keep people’s heat on. We reinvest it back in the community,” Goldfarb said. Donations to the Thrift Store can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. week days.
At the southern end of Mercer County, the Bluefield Union Mission was also receiving numerous requests for help.
“It was pretty busy this weekend,” said Director Craig Hammond. “Since Jan. 1, we’ve helped 46 families with kerosene, 10 with blankets. We gave out five electric heaters, helped eight families with coal, five families with wood, and helped eight families with electricity ,which may or may not have anything to do with cold weather. And one with heating oil.”
Six people were sheltered; three needed shelter due to a recent fire on Highland Avenue, Hammond said.
Blankets have been the “number one” request,” he added. “We gave out a lot of blankets; we can’t keep them in stock.”
Besides providing winter items, the mission offers advice for staying warm. Wearing stocking caps, also called toboggans, helps bodies retain heat, Hammond said.
“We also recommend cordoning off one or two rooms if they can. I can remember when my son was really small, we just lived in the living room. Curtains and blankets can block off heat,” he recalled. “You can do things cheaply and efficiently. That’s what we do at the mission. Just the office area and other areas are heated.”
Running a trickle of water through faucets can help keep pipes from freezing, Hammond added.
Meanwhile on local highways, road crews were adjusting to the freezing cold, too. The mixtures of salt, cinders and other substances spread on roads to improve traction are changed as the temperatures change, said Tom Camden, acting District Manager for District 10 of the state Department of Highways.
“We try to adjust our mix depending on the temperatures,” Camden said. “By ‘mix’ we mean a three-to-one: three parts abrasives and one part salt. However, once it gets below 20 degrees, we can treat the mix with liquid calcium, which improves the effectiveness of the salt.”
“Now in some cases when it gets down to below 10 degrees, we may go to straight abrasives treated in liquid calcium; low temperatures do affect the salt,” he said.
The mixes being used on as the cold lingers varies. On the highways, a one-to-one mix of abrasives and salt treated with calcium is being used. One some country roads, road crews spread a three-to-one mix.
“We are still working around the clock,” Camden said. “In District 10, since July 1 we’ve spent $1.7 million (supplies, etc.).”
Besides human needs, the needs of dogs and cats must be considered when temperatures drop, said Stephanie Barker, a director at the Mercer County Animal Shelter.
“Well, something to go by is this: If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them,” Barker said.
Pets should be brought indoors if possible. If this cannot be done, owners must check their pets’ water frequently; it can easily freeze. Pets usually need more food during cold weather, too.
Wood shavings, wood chips or blankets used inside a dog house or other enclosure should be kept dry, Barker advised. The dog house or shelter should be in an area sheltered from the wind, and turned so wind cannot enter it. If cats will not come doors, provide sheltered, enclosed places where they can stay warm.
Pet owners should also check for snow between paws, Barker said.
