BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty declared a state of emergency on Sunday afternoon closing all county roads to non-emergency traffic as Winter Storm Blair brings heavy snow and ice to the region.

“I’m ordering all county roads closed except to emergency traffic,” Judge Lafferty announced at 4 p.m. “We’re expecting up to three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain and ice over the next two hours. Roads are impassable right now, and no one should be out on them for the time being.”

Lafferty said he had been in contact with Kentucky Emergency Management officials about the storm’s impact and expressed concern about the potential for widespread power outages.

“It looks like it’s going to get bad,” he said. “I worry about the power lines.”

In response to the severe weather, warming centers are open at several locations across the county, including the Martin County Senior Citizens Center in Inez and fire departments at Pigeon Roost, Turkey and Warfield.