BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
MARTIN COUNTY — The first snowstorm of 2024 brought Martin County to a standstill, with heavy snow causing dangerous road conditions and widespread closures. The snow began falling Sunday, and by Tuesday, residents reported an accumulation of 6-8 inches.
Schools, government offices, and several businesses have been closed since Monday. Schools will remain shut Wednesday due to the treacherous road conditions.
Roadway maintenance crews struggled to keep up with the rapid snowfall in the frigid temperatures. On Monday morning, a scraper truck was stuck in a ditch on State Route 2032, while a semitractor-trailer truck got stuck on Buck Creek Hill on State Route 40.
The situation on the roads worsened. By noon Monday, seven semitractor-trailer trucks delivering materials to the Martin County Solar Project were stranded on South Wolf Creek Road. They remained stuck until after 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Constable Brad Preece reported, “We have tractor-trailer trucks stuck everywhere.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Kentucky Department of Transportation District 12 reported that crews had main A routes down to the pavement in most areas and were working on B and C routes. District 12 advised “limited travel.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind chill advisory effective from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday, warning of wind chills as low as 15 degrees below zero.
Looking ahead, the NWS in Jackson forecasts another round of snow Thursday into Friday. The county is also bracing for potentially subzero wind chill temperatures from Friday night into Saturday morning and from Saturday night into Sunday morning.
In response to the warning, Martin County Emergency Management issued an advisory Tuesday evening, urging residents to check their heating sources and to look out for their neighbors and pets. The advisory also provided information on arranging access to a warming center by calling 606-298-3211.
Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty advises residents to stay safe and follow updates from local authorities.
