Dreams of a white Christmas in Caldwell County have come true, but with serious consequences — more than a foot of snow that put Caldwell, Lyon and surrounding counties in states of emergency that closed virtually all businesses and made driving a crime.
The snow, accompanied by bouts of sleet, began falling in the wee hours Wednesday morning and, for the most part, did not stop until the same time Thursday.
The end result dumped between 12 and 14 inches of snow on the county, and by about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, county emergency officials had seen enough.
As the snow continued to fall, Princeton Fire and Rescue Chief Brent Francis announced the county was in a state of emergency.
The only vehicles legally allowed on county and city roadways were authorized emergency vehicles.
All other drivers caught on the roadways would be cited by law enforcement.
Businesses of all sizes shut down because of the snowstorm. Industries, like Bremner and Fontaine, banks and retail businesses alike kept their doors locked Thursday.
The weather even stopped the mail from going through. Postmaster Monte Nesmith announced the office would remain closed and no mail would be delivered.
All county residents were advised to stay in their homes.
Some residents and travelers, though, were not so fortunate.
The slick pavement on Interstate 24 in the county caused a tractor-trailer accident that virtually shut down the interstate.
Emergency crews labored to clear the scene, but traffic was held up for as much as three hours.
Then, as those vehicles tried to move again, some drivers found that drifting snow had blown around and under their vehicles, leaving them hopelessly mired.
As the night wore on, Francis requested all fire and rescue units with four-wheel drive vehicles to report to the Pennyrile Emergency Assistance Center on Northfield Drive, prepared to stay the night.
Those four-wheel drive units were put to heavy use: assisting motorists stuck elsewhere in the county, responding to medical emergencies and responding to requests for help from drivers among the miles of motorists stranded on the interstate.
Even then, the piling snow kept emergency vehicles to speeds of 20 miles per hour or less.
The Blue Springs Baptist Church was opened as an emergency shelter for those close to the Ky. 139 exit on the interstate.
Those stranded elsewhere in the city were transported to the dispatch center, as more names were added to dispatchers’ lists of those requesting assistance.
The four-wheel drive units were also required to pull out other police vehicles that found themselves stuck in drifts as the blizzard continued.
Emergency management officials urged Transportation Cabinet officials in Frankfort to close I-24 from the Tennessee state line, but to no avail.
State officials at the time said more assistance would be offered.
By Thursday morning, National Guard wreckers had been deployed to assist state police and highway department workers on the interstate. Contractors with towing capabilities were also requested, transportation officials said.
As far as the roads themselves, the situation did not look to improve significantly Thursday.
Salt trucks proved useless, since salt loses its effectiveness as a de-icer when temperatures are under 20 degrees.
They are expected to remain below 20 until Sunday.
Emergency Management Director David Crenshaw said the emergency order would remain in place until the county’s roads were cleared.
No timetable for that completion was offered by emergency officials Thursday.
