EMA: Stay off county roads, bridges until further notice
Jan. 15—All county roads and bridges north of U.S 278 in Cullman County should be considered impassable until further notice, according to officials with Cullman County Emergency Management Agency.
Areas south of U.S. 278 are experiencing a large amount of patchy ice Monday, Jan. 15, but may become impassable later tonight. The general public is advised to suspend or delay all travel.
Only emergency vehicles should travel on county roads and bridges until further notice.
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Do to deteriorating road conditions, the Cullman County Courthouse and all county offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 16. County road and water departments will monitor the situation and respond as necessary throughout the night and into tomorrow. Sanitation will assess road conditions and resume when it is safe to do so.
"It is in the best interest of the employees and citizens to remain at home tomorrow January 16, 2024, unless on-call," Cullman County Commission Chairman Jeff "Clem" Clemons said in a Facebook post.
"I will be in contact with EMA and will be working with them to monitor the situation. I will continue to keep you updated. We will be monitoring throughout the day tomorrow to determine the conditions on Wednesday."
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The Cullman City Sanitation Department is delaying the Tuesday, Jan. 16, commercial routes startup and residential routes until at least daybreak. Officials will evaluate options early Tuesday morning to decide when to get crews on the streets to service customers.
Also, Cullman City Hall will delay opening Tuesday, Jan. 16, until 9 a.m.
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All lanes on Interstate 65, between the 310-318 mile markers in Cullman County, are currently closed and will be for an undetermined amount of time.
A multi-vehicle crash occurring at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, was due to icy roadways according to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Troopers with ALEA's Highway Patrol Division continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates.
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Cullman city and county schools will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 16, due to the threat of severe weather.
The Wallace State campus will also be closed. Students, faculty and staff will have a virtual learning/work day. WSCC students should check Blackboard for class information.
EMA is alerting travelers that roads and overpasses are getting slick and encouraging caution if you have to be out.
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Vinemont-Providence Fire Department is warning travelers to avoid the following bridges if at all possible: Bridges along county roads 1223, 1282, 1354, 1301 and 1398.
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Cullman County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster has opened four warming stations, with shelters opening at 6 p.m. Monday and closing at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. They will open again at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening and close at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Those who plan to stay overnight at the warming stations must check in no later than 9 p.m. If no one arrives seeking shelter by 9 p.m., that shelter will close for the night.
Here is a list of Cullman County warming stations:
ADDED: The Dodge City Town Hall will be available tonight (Monday, Jan. 15) as a warm shelter. Please bring all necessary items, as no additional blankets or supplies will be provided.
Camp Liberty — 15719 AL-157, Vinemont. Camp Liberty is located in the Battleground area. Those staying at the warming station must bring their own pillows, air mattresses, food, etc.
The Link — 708 9th St. SE, Cullman. The Link will have cots and blankets provided by the Red Cross.
Trinity Pentecostal Church — 307 Whaley Ave, Hanceville. Trinity Pentecostal will provide soups and sandwiches during the day in addition to being open as a warming station. Red Cross will be providing cots and blankets.
Hanceville Civic Center — 902 Commercial St. Hanceville. Hanceville Civic Center will have sandwiches and water provided by Hanceville 1st Baptist Church, as well as cots and blankets provided by the Red Cross.
Unsheltered International, 479 County Road 827 Cullman, will be open Monday, Jan. 15-Friday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They will provide snacks and drinks.
For weather updates and warming station announcements, follow Cullman County EMA on Facebook.
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On Sunday, Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for 25 counties ahead of this week's winter weather.
"We are anticipating unusually cold temperatures in Alabama this week, so I am urging everyone to be prepared, take caution traveling and stay weather aware," Ivey said in a press release.
The counties include: Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.
