When storm does come, county is ready

So, were you prepared for the Ice Storm of 2007?

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Were you one of the folks standing in line to buy milk and bread (even if you didn't need it) and anxiously looking at the sky as you wheeled your buggy to the car? Were you glued to the computer screen or the TV Wednesday night, watching endless loops of radar images as the clouds headed toward the Augusta area?

If so, like everyone else, you awoke to a Thursday morning that was soggy, but not frozen. While the midwest this past week was slammed with a deadly ice storm that paralyzed entire communities and killed dozens, Columbia County and the rest of the area got little more than cold rain.

But if it had been an ice storm, Columbia County was ready.

In fact, the certified StormReady county's new Emergency Operations Center cranked up ahead of the storm, getting what Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker called "a great first test." Meanwhile, the county's road crews had sand- and salt-laden trucks ready to roll to keep bridges and roads clear. Workers stayed on standby through the night and the next day, monitoring weather conditions in preparation for the worst the weather could bring.

Thankfully, a cold drizzle is all that fell. But because it really could have been worse - and the damage from past ice storms demonstrate that very-real possibility - county citizens should be comforted in knowing that our emergency services were ready this time, and will be next time, too.