Holmes County crews tackle relentless snowfall

Holmes County engineer Chris Young praised his crew for their effort following the deluge of snow that was dumped on Holmes County Sunday, Jan. 25 and Monday, Jan. 26.

Millersburg Village Administrator Nate Troyer did likewise, noting the village crew that worked diligently received thanks from many people who recognized what they and many like them were doing to clear roadways for travel.

Across the county, from teams clearing the state routes from Ohio Department of Transportation to county roads being set free from snow by the county crew and township workers and teams from towns like the Village of Millersburg, it took a Herculean effort to make sure Holmes County travelers were able to navigate their work or perhaps home to warmth and safety.

Sunday, Jan. 25 at 1 a.m.

The Millersburg Village crew’s first shift arises and hits the road, literally.

The snow is already coming down in curtains, creating a blanket of snow on village streets. There is not much the crew can do other than move the snow off to the side of roads and alleys because the snow removed is replaced by ongoing snowfall.

Still, the crew works diligently all day, doing their best to pave the way for the scant few travelers braving the weather at that time.

“Because we had so much warning about this system, we had a plan in place by Friday,” Troyer said. “We went into shifts, so we didn’t burn anyone out. We staggered shifts and did everything we could to stay on top of it. It was never-ending, tireless work, but our guys did an amazing job throughout the entire storm and the following day.”

Monday, Jan. 26 at 3:30 p.m.

Millersburg Village has open alleys and roads, thanks to the work being done by its crew. Troyer said this storm was different than others because in those storms there is an end game in sight. He said this job was so overwhelming that all work seemed to get wiped away as more snow fell.

Plowed snow was piled to the sidewalks and edges of roads, where it made Historic Downtown Millersburg look like a tiny version of the Alps.

The plan, which would go on for several days, was to remove the snow by loading it into dump trucks and depositing it beside Crissy Memorial Pool.

“The sun coming out was probably the biggest blessing we could have had, because if there was salt down, it was doing its job,” Troyer said. “If we would have had any kind of blowing, it would have been an entirely different story, far worse than it could have been.”

Troyer said he thanked his people every chance he got because he knows how much effort they put into it.

Jason Troyer, Holmes County Emergency Management Agency director, said the employees who went out and did the work during the storm and in the following days can’t be thanked enough.

“People don’t realize the sacrifice these people made and the dedication it took to do what they did,” Jason Troyer said. “At a time when most people want to be at home, where it's warm and safe, and with their family, they are out there plowing, moving snow, and they did a phenomenal job.”

He said during events like this, partnerships between county entities become critical, and working together is vital. Fortunately, there were no major disasters that took place during the storm.

One of the unsung efforts that takes place in a storm like this is emergency vehicles remain on call the entire time, responding to accidents, injuries and medical issues.

Jason Troyer said keeping the roads viable for travel was ultra-important because of that, and when emergency personnel were called out to respond to a call, they had a little insurance trailing them.

"Our crews did such a great job of clearing the roads it made travel for emergency response teams much easier,” Jason Troyer said. “However, what wasn’t cleared out was many driveways, so in responding, crews didn’t know if they could get into someone’s driveway once they go there.”

Enter the chaser, a four-wheel drive truck that follows the responding emergency squad crew. If the squad couldn’t get to someone in their home because of the snow, the four-wheel crew could plow its way into the home and bring the person out to the squad on the road.

Township trustees had a whole different set of concerns. Because township roads are often paved, they can’t use salt on the roads and must resort to gravel. They do add a minimal amount of salt mixture into the gravel in hopes of not having the gravel freeze up in frigid temperatures.

Like the rest of the area, Richland Township Trustees went to work Sunday morning and were at it nonstop. Jeff Wells works for the township and serves as the Richland Township fire chief.

He said like all township employees, when the call of duty arrives, you answer the bell and go to work.

“It’s your job, and when the time comes, you go do the best you can with what you’ve got because we work for the township and for the people,” Wells said. “It was challenging at times, and we struggled with equipment breaking down because it was so cold, but you do whatever you can to help others deal with it.”

Like many townships, Richland Township Trustees had one simple plan: get roads open one lane at a time and widen the roadways when the opportunity arrives.

Wells said he has been working with the township for two decades, and he can’t remember ever facing this type of challenge.

Gratefully, the work ethic and dedication of all the employees within Holmes County paved the way for the public to navigate a storm that certainly left its mark and will be remembered for a long time.