Motorists traveling on roadways in Baxter County may experience delays. Baxter County Office of Emergency Management Director David Stults tells KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot’s Sammy Raycraft the delays are due to power crews on location.
Listen:
STULTS: If you’re traveling down in the Briarcliff to Salesville area, that stretch of Highway 5 South there in between Briarcliff and Salesville, if you could, please use caution. You’ll expect potentially a little bit of delay. There is a heavy presence of power companies out still trying to restore power to this area. They do have one of the lanes with a couple of their flaggers out directing traffic, but they do have some trucks in the roadway on 5 South as they’re trying to work on those transmission lines and putting new power poles and stuff along 5 and also as well as Briarcliff City. If you’re trying to get in and see family and friends and help them with debris removal and things like that, expect delays and some traffic issues. There is a very heavy presence of power companies in Briarcliff City as well.
RAYCRAFT: Hey David, any idea on how long these delays may be over on Highway 5 there throughout today?
STULTS: I am not sure, to be honest with you. That might be a question for the co-op and the utility companies. But there is a heavy presence. They do have some pretty big cranes and machinery over there working. Obviously, those transmission lines are going to be quite the project to get repaired, but they are working on the normal power poles as well, and they have done a tremendous job since Sunday. They’ve been nonstop restoring power, and they’re restoring more people’s powers. So it’s good to see. I’m sure it’s putting a little bit of a smile on people’s faces.
RAYCRAFT: Absolutely, and just to clarify, 5 South there is open? Just show some caution and prepare for a little bit of delay through there?
STULTS: Yes, sir. That’s correct.
RAYCRAFT: Okay David, while I got you on the line, you guys have had a busy couple of days meeting with FEMA and state officials. Also, a lot of progress being made and things getting in place to get the next step ready to get people relief.
STULTS: Yes sir. Absolutely, we’re doing everything here in Baxter to help everyone that was affected in our communities. A lot of people are pulling together to make that happen, so we appreciate everybody’s help. All the volunteers, all of our first responders, all these power companies and everybody that’s been lending a helping hand for sure, it’s greatly appreciated. We drove around with FEMA and Adams yesterday. We surveyed the area. I know a lot of people probably saw that list that the governor had released with Marion, Benton and Boone on it. We are very confident that Baxter will be added to that list. So it’s just a matter of time for the governor to make that announcement, and then as soon as that happens, things will go pretty quickly as far as getting the FEMA presence here on the ground.
RAYCRAFT: And what would that look like, FEMA being in the area? How would that contribute and help us?
STULTS: FEMA can offer up assistance. They’ll work alongside the residents that were affected. They’ll go out and do damage assessment. They’ll work alongside those insurance companies to get the assistance that these people are needing – anything from as far as cleanup to getting the residents back to how they were before. They’ll work alongside them. There will be a pretty heavy presence from what they told us. With people in the area, we did have a number of properties that were heavily damaged – Marion County as well, so it’ll be a quick process, but now we’re kind of getting the paperwork together and getting that whole situated. And we’re in constant contact with Adams and FEMA as well.
RAYCRAFT: One more question, Dave, before we let you get back to work. Your crew’s been busy all week. I’m sure it’s been a long week for you guys. What’s your primary focus going into this weekend and early next week?
STULTS: So right now, on our end for our office, we’re just going to stay in constant contact with FEMA and Adams and wait to hear the governor make that announcement. We’ll be working with them to get them into the area. We’re going to continue to relay information as far as our debris teams that are around the county. They’ve been out since Sunday, doing a tremendous job all around the county. Here in Salesville, Briarcliff, Hand Cove, cleaning up debris. If you haven’t seen the debris plans for the cities and the county, please look at the look at those. We’ll start doing debris cleanup pretty heavy in the county area on Monday. And, of course, you can drop off on County Road 69 from 8 to 4 at our old crusher. But we’re just going to continue to work. We’re going to continue to get this place back to where it was and potentially even better. It’s been a long, long journey up to this point, but a lot of people put in a lot of time and effort. So we’re going to keep going.
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