While snow and ice left by this week鈥檚 winter storm has melted in many lower elevations, a path of downed trees remains across the 色多多 and New River valleys. More than 90,000 homes were still without power Thursday evening after a mixture of snow, ice and rain felled trees and electrical lines.
Franklin County once again seemed to bear the brunt of this week鈥檚 winter storm, less than a month after an earlier storm similarly downed trees and power lines in the county. As of 6 p.m. Thursday, more than 20,000 Appalachian Power Co. customers in the county were still without power.
Utility crews work on powerlines along Sontag Road in Franklin County Thursday.
Franklin County authorities declared a local state of emergency and opened warming centers. The governor had issued a statewide emergency declaration Monday ahead of the storm.
Bedford, Campbell, Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski and 色多多 counties each had more than 4,000 ApCo customers without electric service as of 6 p.m. Montgomery County was second to Franklin County, with 15,000-plus customers without power. Tree damage was widespread in Christiansburg and Blacksburg.
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A motorist navigates drooping branches on Merriman Road in Franklin County after a winter storm affected the area Thursday.
This week鈥檚 storm also has disrupted multiple days of class time for students across the region. Salem City Schools returned to classes Thursday, while other school divisions had delayed openings, held virtual classes or again canceled school altogether for the third day in a row.
Although Thursday鈥檚 weather was favorable for restoration, high winds are forecast and are expected to create additional outages. Assessment crews are working to locate damage to electric facilities by foot, drones and helicopters.
Appalachian Power estimates those customers who lost power on Tuesday will have their power restored by Friday. Customers who lost power on Thursday during the heavy rains at the tail end of the storm can expect their power to be restored by late Sunday.
Homeowners Margaret and Blaine Shively clean up damage from an ice damage silver maple tree in Blacksburg after a winter storm impacted the area Thursday.
Franklin County dispatch has received more than 1,100 calls for service since 6 a.m. Wednesday. Chief Dempsey Moore with the Scruggs Fire and Rescue Department said they responded to calls throughout the night.
The majority of the calls were for downed trees on roadways. Moore said throughout the day and night they would respond to one call and multiple other calls would come in for trees down in other areas.
鈥淲e just couldn鈥檛 keep up,鈥 Moore said.
The mix of precipitation continued to add weight to the trees throughout the day, Moore said. The ice accumulated on the trees already loaded with snow then the rain added even more weight which led to so many trees snapping.
Broken utility poles partially block Nellies Cave Road in Blacksburg after a winter storm blanketed the area Thursday.
鈥淚t just kept building up weight,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淢ost the them fell over roots and all.鈥
Scruggs Deputy Chief James Richards said things had slowed by Thursday afternoon after a busy 24 hours during which members got little to no sleep. He said they are now bracing for additional downed trees with heavy winds forecast that could topple trees already compromised by the snow, ice and rain.
鈥淭here are a lot of trees still hanging over the roadways,鈥 Richards said.
A motorist navigates drooping branches on Palmer Drive in Blacksburg after a winter storm blanketed the area Thursday.
With power not expected to return to many homes for days, warming shelters have opened for residents in Franklin County. Franklin County High School opened for residents during the day on Thursday as well as the Scruggs Fire and Rescue Department. Both are expected to close in the evening.
Cool Branch Fire and Rescue Department will be open 24 hours a day for any residents needing a place to stay warm overnight. The county school division also opened the Central Gym at Franklin County High School on Thursday afternoon for families who needed to recharge devices or take a shower.
Christine Stockli and her two children, Cyra and Myah, took advantage of the warming shelter at Scruggs on Thursday. Their home in Scruggs, like many in the area, had been without power since Tuesday.
The Scruggs Fire and Rescue Department has been running on a generator since Wednesday.
鈥淭his has put a damper on getting our house done,鈥 Stockli said of the power outage. The family moved to the area in December and were also impacted by the January storm.
Christine Stockli and her daughters Cyra, 13, and Myah, 7, load up to head back home after using the warming shelter at Scruggs Fire and Rescue Department on Thursday. The family lost power to their home on Tuesday.聽
Stockli used the showers at the warming shelter and planned to head back home for the evening. She said they have a generator and a space heater that has kept them warm the past few nights.
鈥淟ast night we all slept in one room,鈥 Stockli said.
With the previous winter storm in January, Stockli said her family was without power for four days. She is hoping power will be returned to their home this time by Appalachian Power鈥檚 estimates of Friday evening.
