Just two weeks after only a few inches of snow froze traffic and left thousands stranded in metropolitan Atlanta, state officials are hoping to avoid further embarrassment as they prep for another round of winter storms heading their way Monday evening.
A winter storm moving through the South is expected to deposit a mixture of snow and ice over Atlanta Monday evening through Wednesday, leaving 1-3 inches of snow behind. (Via WAGA)
The Georgia Department of Transportation will start pre-treating roads around Atlanta with a salt/sand mixture after the Monday evening rush hour. City officials say they plan to do the same for priority roads and bridges inside the city. (Via WGCL)
The state's governor, Nathan Deal, and Atlanta's mayor, Kasim Reed, took heavy criticism last month for the government's lack of preparation the first time around. (Via CBS)
On January 28th, a similar winter storm created traffic gridlock that left thousands stranded on the roads. Children spent the night at schools, while some drivers endured 20-plus hour commutes, if they were able to get home within the day at all. (Via CNN)
Since then, Deal has created an emergency weather task force, which expects to huddle together the state's emergency management, transportation department, power companies and health officials Monday afternoon to prepare for the storm.
Deal released a statement saying: "We've included health officials and power companies in our preparations because heavy downfalls of ice can knock out power supply ... I want to make sure we're reaching out to health care facilities so they can have backup plans in place." (Via Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB)
Governor Deal plans to hold a televised press conference Monday afternoon to talk about the preparations and let drivers know when they should stay off the roads. Georgia's winter storm advisory is expected to last through Wednesday.
