Mayor Linda Gorton declared a snow emergency in Lexington, Kentucky this week as the city continues to experience heavy snowfall, with more expected in the coming days.
The declaration has partially activated Lexington’s Emergency Operations Center and placed public safety divisions on 24-hour schedules through Thursday. Crews responsible for snow removal are working alternating 12-hour shifts to ensure the city’s roads remain as safe and passable as possible.
“I’m putting all hands on deck,” Gorton said in a statement. “This emergency declaration fully mobilizes our public safety resources to help residents handle the severe weather we are experiencing.”
Although the current emergency declaration does not include a parking ban on snow emergency routes, the mayor has encouraged residents to avoid parking on these streets to aid snow removal efforts. The city urges residents to exercise caution and stay updated on weather and road conditions as the situation develops.
A powerful winter storm swept across central and southern states to the East Coast on Monday, creating dangerous travel conditions, power outages, and widespread disruptions. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures caused schools, businesses, and government offices to shut down across multiple states.
The storm stranded over 600 motorists in Missouri and triggered hundreds of accidents in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky. State police in Indiana reported 259 crashes by midday Monday, while Kentucky troopers dealt with 170 accidents and assisted over 280 stranded drivers. In Maryland, police responded to 123 crashes and numerous disabled vehicles.
Air travel was heavily impacted, with more than 800 flights delayed or canceled at Washington, D.C., area airports, including Reagan National and Dulles International. Chicago O’Hare saw 730 flights affected, while icy conditions shut down routes into Cincinnati, which recorded a record 8 inches of snow.
