Riverhead highway chief to residents: prepare in advance, stay off the roads during this weekend’s storm

With the potential for a major storm this weekend, Riverhead Highway Superintendent George “Gio” Woodson has a message for local residents.

“Slow down,” Woodson said. “Stay off the roads if you can. Be patient. That’s the biggest thing.”

Accidents on snow-covered roadways can be more than an inconvenience for the drivers involved. When cars get stuck in snow drifts or are involved in crashes during the height of a snowstorm, that takes a highway snow plow off its route to plow out the vehicles involved and sometimes clear the way to the hospital.

And with Riverhead highway crews down from 47 employees in 1984 to just 30 today, the loss of just one snow plow, even temporarily, can make a big difference in a town with more than 415 lane miles of roadway.

“People go out and they get stuck,” Woodson said. “We try to pull the out and we get stuck. It’s a domino effect. You have three or four trucks that are normally out plowing, and now one of them is stuck – people just need to stay off the roads so we can do our job.”

Short staffing in the town highway department means that employees work “round the clock” during a snowstorm, with only two- to three-hour breaks for rest until all the roads are cleared.

“I think people expect things to be done right away,” he said.

In a February 14 blog, Woodson outlined townwide snow-clearing procedures.

“When dealing with Mother Nature, you can only try to keep up with her. Nobody I know can beat Mother Nature yet.”

Woodson advises residents to stay off the roadways if possible during a storm, and to stock up on food and medication beforehand. “We have a three day notice before the snow gets here this time,” he said. “Be prepared.”

Parked vehicles should be removed from the street to allow clear passage for snow plows.

The highway department is fully stocked with sand and salt and crews are preparing plows and equipment in advance of the impending storm, Woodson said.

For a glimpse of what it’s like for the town highway crews operating plow trucks during a big storm, watch this RiverheadLOCAL video taken aboard a plow truck during a December 2010 blizzard: