Indianapolis, Indiana – The snowstorm this week is significantly riskier than usual winter weather, according to authorities from the Indiana Department of Transportation and the National Guard on Thursday.
Whiteout conditions are expected on Friday due to strong gusts and light, powdery snow, according to meteorologists. Western American states have already experienced that. According to INDOT spokesperson Kyleigh Cramer, staff members, including the organization’s own meteorologists, will keep an eye on the situation and communicate with snow plow drivers frequently. She claimed that although they had practiced in simulators for whiteout situations, drivers would still get off the road if necessary.
“If they need to pull over to the side of the road, if it’s getting in that whiteout condition, we will have them pull over,” Cramer said. “They are definitely allowed to make that call.”
At seven on Thursday morning, authorities turned up at the state emergency operations center. About 150 National Guard troops and airmen reported for duty in northern Indiana early in the afternoon. In a similar manner to how they assisted stranded motorists during the snowstorm in February, they will patrol highways. According to the Chief Strategic Communications Officer of the Guard, Lt. Col. Randi Bougere, Guard members will transport stranded travelers to a safe location with supplies like blankets and bottled water. She claimed that because of the potential for whiteouts, the Guard adjusted its road rescue protocols this time.
“There’s just going to be a lot more checkpoints, check-in opportunities over the radios with these servicemembers that are out patrolling to ensure we are doing our job and not being part of the issue,” Bougere said.
The Guard will concentrate on the state’s northern region, according to Bougere, where the worst conditions are expected. She stated that the armories in Gary, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Muncie, Kokomo, and Lafayette will serve as staging areas for the personnel.
According to Cramer, INDOT has around 1,000 trucks on standby to clean the roads, 57 of which are in Marion County. According to her, avoiding driving unless absolutely necessary keeps you safe and also provides snow plow drivers with greater space to use their blades. They can now clean the roads much more swiftly and effectively as a result.
