Weekend snow, wind and freezing temperatures keep local authorities busy

by Bob Beach

The Allamakee County Sheriff's Department reported that strong winds and drifting snow forced a ban on towing beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday, January 26. Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick said that the Sheriff's Department received 14 reports of stranded vehicles Sunday night, but white-out conditions made it impossible to get tow service to the vehicles, some of which were stranded in drifts within the roadway.
Mellick said that an Allamakee County Secondary Roads snowplow assisted in the rescue of a stranded motorist on Old Stage Road and that the Sheriff's Department's new ATV was used to investigate a stranded vehicle on Teeple Creek Drive, both of those incidents also taking place Sunday evening. Light snowfall of two to three inches was blown around late Sunday by winds maintained from 25 to 30 miles per hour with gusts approaching 45 miles per hour at times, resulting in the Iowa Department of Transportation to make a "Travel Not Advised" declaration for roadways throughout northeast Iowa.
Mellick advised motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary under such conditions and that those who must travel should bring blankets and a charged cell phone with them on their trek. He also said that motorists who do become stranded should stay in their vehicle and that those who are forced to abandon their vehicles should advise the Sheriff's Department of the vehicle's location and provide contact information.
Sheriff Mellick also reported that the Iowa Department of Transportation provided a snowplow to assist fire trucks in reaching a house fire on Countryside Drive at around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning, January 27. He said that no injuries were reported and there were no medical emergencies reported during the storm.
Alliant Energy also reported that approximately 230 customers in the Rossville and Waterville areas lost electrical power at 6:17 p.m. Sunday, January 26 as a result of a downed line. Power was restored to the areas by 7:24 p.m.