While the St. Louis region is in winter storm recovery mode this week, officials are warning residents to start preparing for another snowstorm that is in the forecast beginning Thursday night.
The region is expecting an additional 2 to 3 inches of snow overnight, and St. Louis officials say street crews will focus on clearing arterial, secondary and hill roads while they await the arrival of at least three smaller plow trucks for the often neglected, narrow residential streets.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said Thursday that the limited county road crews have been working around the clock to clear several inches of snow from subdivisions and streets and are now focusing on problem areas.
“Here is the advice I offer residents — especially those living in subdivisions — please move your vehicles off the street and into your driveway if possible,” Page said Thursday during a winter storm press briefing. “It makes the snowplowing safer and more effective, and your vehicle will not get snowed in by the plows.”
Page said the limited county road crews have been working around the clock to clear several inches of snow from subdivisions and streets and are now focusing on problem areas. Ahead of the upcoming storm, crews will first treat and maintain high-traffic roads leading to hospitals and grocery stores and then work into subdivisions.
It can be difficult for crews to lift snow packs and treat roads when vehicles are in their path, said Stephanie Leon Streeter, director of the St. Louis County Transportation and Public Works Department.
“If there’s declarations through the emergency operation center or by St. Louis County or other agencies to stay off the road to give us time to treat … I would recommend people do that,” she said.
County officials ask residents whose roads have not been plowed to contact the transportation department at 314-615-8538 for maintenance.
Mayor Tishaura Jones said that in the city, plow trucks currently abide by a resolution that requires major arterial roads, secondary and hill routes be cleared.
“Most residential streets in this city are less than the width of our snowplow trucks, and with cars parked on both sides of the street, it can be almost impossible for our trucks to plow those streets without causing damage to people's cars,” Jones said. “However, we have used ARPA funds to purchase new, smaller plow trucks that will be able to easily navigate residential streets.”
She said that due to supply chain issues, the delivery of those trucks has been slow, but they’re expected to be operational in time for next winter.
“As we work to update the ordinances that deal with residential plowing, we'll stay focused on those main thoroughfares and secondary streets, and we ask that you drive with extreme caution to avoid getting stuck or in the way of our plow trucks,” Jones added.
Regarding the issue of limited warming shelters across the city, Adam Pearson, director of the Department of Human Services in St. Louis, said Thursday the agency is continuing to partner with the United Way 211 resource program to implement a communication plan for putting people in contact with pop-up shelters.
“In terms of coordinating for the winter weather, there's a conversation we had recently regarding the access to after-hours shelter beds with DHS staffing and (an) emergency phone,” Pearson said. “And so we have had some conversations with 211, about what it is like for individuals who call after hours who are looking for shelter. These individuals are routed to DHS staffing, and they are able to work with other pop-up shelters to place individuals. ”
Several residents have complained about the hotline not being much help, but Pearson said streamlining communication will help get as many people into shelters as possible.
“A number of shelters stopped taking people after a certain time, and so some pop-ups were able to have access to after-hours (shelters). So when somebody calls 211, oftentimes they're relayed to a DHS team member who carries an emergency phone with them, and that team member is able to reach out to the different pop-ups to see if there's capacity or not.”
Jones said the city has funded an additional 122 emergency shelter beds for winter this year, bringing the total number of beds up to 942 across various city-area providers, including the St. Louis Public Library and United Way.
