A City of Chattanooga Public Works department truck spreads a brine solution on the Veterans Bridge on Sunday night in anticipation of a winter storm forecast for the area.If you can drive to work today, thank Chattanooga Public Works employees who stayed up all night getting ready for several inches of snow.
They'll be working around the clock, coating roads with at least 23,000 gallons of brine, until the snow melts, said Ricky Colston, Manager of Street Maintenance.
"Most of the workers here are veterans, and so they know how to stay motivated in the long nights and long days," Colston said. "This storm looks to be a pretty bad one, with the temperatures making us leery. But we've prepared the best we can, and we're on alert."
Forecasters called Sunday night for 4 to 6 inches of snow, fed by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, throughout Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.
Schools and colleges across the region called off classes for today, and many government meetings were canceled. In Georgia, outgoing Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in anticipation of several inches of snow.
Nick Austin, meteorologist with WRCB-TV, said light snow could continue into Wednesday, possibly mixed with rain and sleet.
With nighttime temperatures in the low 20s, icy roads are likely to follow.
"That's our biggest concern at this point - slushy areas refreezing on the road," Austin said.
On Sunday night, area aid groups gave food and beds to the homeless.
Workers at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen cleared the floors and put down dozens of pallets.
"We've got a tent, but it's too cold to be in that tent on a night like this," said Lisa Duggan, who has been living on the streets with her boyfriend, Marc Hoell, for the past month and a half.
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About 95 to 100 people stayed at the kitchen Sunday night, said Allen Edgeman, who volunteers with the Union Gospel Mission.
The mission partners with the kitchen to host the homeless overnight in bad weather. The workers have stocked up on amenities like blankets and socks.
"We've got more volunteers in to do some cooking in the morning, and we've got some extra mats and some extra blankets on hand," Edgeman said.
Edgeman said donations are welcome - especially items like canned meats, peanut butter and other forms of protein. The groups are also in need of blankets and socks.