The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office would like to update the press on the ongoing effort being made to pull us through this dangerous winter weather. Our local Public Safety Workers are working very hard in each of their disciplines to ensure the public is safe. We have had isolated reports of Carbon Monoxide alarms that many Fire Departments have responded to throughout Berrien County. Most were attributed to vents being blocked by snow for the homes’ HVAC systems and/or other exhausts for products like clothes dryers etc. Residents should be reminded to check for snow that may block their vents. Especially, High Efficiency, HVAC systems may not work properly if the intake vents are blocked. This may cause a failure in a home’s heating system. Also, the exhaust vents, if blocked, can prevent exhaust products like Carbon Monoxide from leaving the home. Carbon Monoxide levels may build up to deadly levels when exhaust vents are blocked. We have also received reports of pipes freezing inside people’s homes. Many prevention methods are applied before the cold hits, like insulating pipes in crawl spaces/attics, the safe installation of heat tape on the pipe, sealing leaks in the home’s structure, disconnecting garden hoses, and turning off valves to external faucets. Now that it is cold, a trickle of warm water may help to keep pipes from freezing. Opening cabinet doors to allow heat to get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances along exterior walls may help. If your pipes are frozen, you should leave the faucet turned on and consider calling a plumber. We received some reports of fires being caused by homeowners trying to thaw pipes using a torch. Using open flame to thaw pipes is a bad idea that may cause your house to be set on fire. You may be able to warm pipes using a hair dryer, starting from the warmest part of the pipe, working toward the colder side; but you should never use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because electrocution hazards can exist. We have had some reports of overexertion and cold weather medical problems. We still remind folks to limit their exposure to the cold air. Take many breaks and don’t over estimate your physical condition. Dr. Frederick Johansen of the Berrien County Health Department would like to remind citizens to "Continue to limit exposure to the extreme cold whenever possible. When necessary, strenuous activity in the cold should only be for SHORT periods, with special considerations for age and underlying health conditions. Do not drink alcohol if you will be out in the cold. Check on vulnerable relatives and friends where appropriate." The Road Commission and Local Public Works crews are continuing to remove snow as quickly as they can. The majority of the main roads are clear; however, there are areas of drifting that need frequent attention. Many of the secondary roads are still having drifting problems, especially across open fields and intersections. Berrien County Road Commission Managing Director, Louis Csoksay says that they have been focusing on plowing the main roads yesterday and today. The forecast for tonight is for the wind to calm down and the plan for Wednesday, January 8th is to shift the snow plowing to the subdivision streets and side streets first, then the main roads. Workers at the Berrien County Road Commission will start at 0400 hrs (4AM) on Wednesday. Many residents have heeded warnings that travel is likely dangerous due to snow covered roads and blowing snow. This has been very helpful to Public Safety responders and snow removal crews. However, traffic has picked up during today and so has the frequency of accidents and vehicles that have gotten stuck in the snow. Visibility during most of the day has been poor due to blowing snow. Conditions are expected to improve by tomorrow morning. Sheriff Paul Bailey would like to remind drivers that travel should be limited to activities that are only necessary. If it is necessary, drivers need to drive with due care for safety. This means to slow down and make sure you can see obstructions in the road; and be able to stop before hitting anything. Drivers need to use care around snow plows, tow trucks, Rescue Vehicles, and Police Officers who are working on helping people along the roads. Captain Rockey Adams, Emergency Management Coordinator says “it has taken a whole community effort in getting through this dangerous weather. The success so far can be attributed to the communities’ understanding of the danger associated with this storm and taking precautions before and during the storm. We thank those who had heeded warnings to limit driving and those who have done their part in keeping cars out of the roadway to allow snow plows to do their job. Our Public Safety workers and Public Works workers have demonstrated a lot of teamwork and are working very hard to get us back to normal.”