By Cory Stark - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email
MADISONVILLE, KY (WFIE) - A year ago Tuesday, the Tri-State was gearing up for an ice storm, and Tuesday, some places are still cleaning up from the storm that put us all in the deep freeze.
Last year's ice storm made many agencies take a step back and look at what could be improved.
The Kentucky Transportation Department saw many areas they could improve.
Now, they feel more prepared for whatever Mother Nature may bring.
A year ago, Kentucky road crews were preparing for the worst, and the worst came.
"The repeater towers that operate all our radios went out," communications technician Mark Smith said. "We couldn't talk to anybody."
One year later, the department has improved its communication capabilities with satellite radios.
"There could be crews out there working that need information and need to get it," Smith said. "We'll take all our directions from Frankfort on how to get it there. We can do that now."
Smith said more reliable communication will also help organize clean up efforts.
"If we had this radio last year, clean up would have probably started a lot quicker and with less confusion because we would have had communications," Smith said.
The department has also increased its storage capacity of salt brine and other chemicals at many road maintenance sites.
"Crews will have to make fewer trips back to a central location to stock up on chemicals," Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesperson Keith Todd said. "They will now have more chemicals on site at those individual maintenance facilities."
The larger capacity tanks will speed up the road treating process.
"The less time they spend going back and forth, having to restock their supplies, the more time they can actually spend out on the road," Todd said.
Also, Todd said the department has purchased multiple generators so they can keep their offices up and running.
Todd said crews could be out as early as Wednesday morning pre-treating roads for the expected winter weather coming later in the week.
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