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Last month, Santa Fe was one among a dozen cities and counties to stage a four-hour teleconference in which everyone drummed up worst-case scenarios—from Jackson County, Ind., to Fairfield, Conn., to the Jefferson Fire Protection District in Kentucky.
"We just want to be prepared, when and if the time comes," says David Silver, the city's emergency management director, who graduated from St. Michael's High School in 2006 and has a master's degree in emergency management from Boston University.
It sounds a little like endtimes. Or Y2K. Remember that? When everyone was waiting for the computer apocalypse that never came—stockpiling non-perishables and gallons of water to go along with gallons of propane, batteries and candles in a scene out of a movie. But Silver, who's new on the job, was operating on the "better safe than sorry" principle, and the four-hour session was "good practice," he says.
So was the imagination, which conjured the doomsday events: nearly three feet of snow over a three-day period, communitywide power outages that couldn't be repaired due to the conditions, snowplows colliding with cars, welfare checks on unresponsive neighbors, impassable roads due to drifting snow, a backup generator running out of fuel at an assisted living center.
And the upshot is that Santa Fe is ready, at least theoretically speaking, and the session was carried out without a hitch, Silver says.
David Catanach, director of streets and drainage maintenance division, says he has 14 plows on hand, four of them brand new, and 4,000 cubic yards of salt and scoria (lava rock) just ready to be mixed and then spread on the streets of Santa Fe when the big storms hit.
Catanach implores motorists to just do one thing when they're driving in the snow and ice: "Don't tailgate."
He says it's by far the biggest mistake made by motorists, the second being that a few tend to drive too fast. Follow these pair of instructions, and mishaps will be fewer, he says.
"When the snow comes down, even the plow drivers are having a difficult time, especially if it's rush hour," he says. "So you've got to give them a chance. Sometimes, we'll put the salt down and do our job, but the snow just covers it up.
"This stuff takes time."
The salt is supposed to be capable of melting anything at 25 degrees, while the scoria are essentially little red pebbles that can add traction to the road, the mere sight an indicator that the roads won't be as slippery.
But negotiating the snow in your car is always the biggest threat to safety, especially if you're not used to driving in the stuff. So, if you're out in it, heed the following advice, some of which are common sense:
Your four-wheel vehicle isn’t invincible, so try not to think it is. You can’t drive on ice.
Prepare your car: Make sure your tires have at least 6/32-inch-deep tread. Or another trick would be to bring out a penny and put it to use, since the coin really makes no sense anyway and is given away for free at the Allsups. Take the penny and Abraham Lincoln’s head and lower into the tread of the tire. If you cannot see the head, all is good. But if you see a portion of his head, then it’s time for a new tire. Abe wouldn’t lie. All-weather tires can handle most driving conditions, but you might consider purchasing snow tires.
Check your antifreeze levels and battery power and make sure that your defroster and rear window defogger work. As well, invest in a snow shovel and kitty litter on the inside of your car, in case you need to dig yourself out of a drift or you need traction.
Don’t slam on the brakes, ever. Ease off the accelerator so you don’t lose traction, but don’t slam on the brakes. It removes traction from your tires, taking away your ability to control your vehicle, and once your brakes lock up, you’re done for. Just ease off the pedal and let your car slow down.
When handling snow-covered corners, like on Hyde Park Road, you should begin a steady braking as you approach the turn. Once in the corner, ease off the brakes and use the car’s remaining traction to steer through the turn.
Santa Fe Reporter