Travel advisory issued for Niagara County until late Sunday afternoon
Press Release, Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the Niagara County Office of Emergency Management have issued a travel advisory for all of Niagara County, effective immediately until late Sunday afternoon.
The National Weather Service is reporting the potential for .5 inches to .75 inches of freezing rain during this period. This amount of freezing rain has a high potential to damage power lines and bring down tree branches, impairing travel.
Winds are expected to increase to 20-30 mph with gusts exceeding 40 mph. The significance of these winds is critical, as they will come from the Northeast as opposed to the normal Southwest. This directional change will have significant damaging effects on trees, which are not suited to withstand winds from the opposite direction.
There is potential for roadways to freeze over, particularly after sunset on Saturday. There is also a risk of local flooding as the total precipitation over this period of time could exceed 3 inches. Areas along the Lake Ontario shore could see waves up to 12 -15 feet, causing shore damage.
Niagara County officials are asking residents to use caution if they must travel over the next two days. Residents should be ready to withstand power outages due to the potential for ice and wind damage.
The Sheriff’s Office has prepared the county 911 center for significant increases in calls for service and the Office of Emergency Management is closely monitoring the events and remains in constant contact with State officials in full preparation for the storm.
