Mid-Missouri reminded to keep hydrants clear, move cars ahead of winter storm

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Parking in front of a snow-covered fire hydrant or along a priority road in Columbia could land drivers a ticket or a tow during this week's snowstorm.

And public safety officials also are asking people to keep hydrants outside their homes and businesses clear so firefighters can quickly access them if needed.

To keep fire hydrants clear it is best to remove any snow or ice off of the fire hydrant and clear a perimeter of about 3 feet on each side of the fire hydrant for firefighters to work. It's also important to make a clear path from the fire hydrant to the street so firefighters have a clear path to get to the hydrant when there is an emergency.

Fire hydrants are spaced out every 500 feet and every 300 feet in commercial areas, if firefighters can't get to one they can go to the next available hydrant.

Although the Boone County Fire Department has tankers that allow them to bring water with them it still remains important to have easy access to fire hydrants.

"We always want to establish a water supply in case we have more fire than what we have water to take care ,of so we can have additional water." Gale Blomenkamp Assistant Fire Chief with Boone County said.

The City of Columbia has a city code that prohibits parking in front of fire hydrants.

Parking in Columbia

Crews are prepared to salt and plow the roads in Mid-Missouri. A 33 person Columbia Public Works crew will be hitting the roads Tuesday night at 11 p.m.

Crews will be applying treatments to priority roads, as well as bridges, intersections and hills.

Drivers who do not remove their vehicles from a priority road could be ticketed and their vehicle towed at the owner's expense if they're parked on snow routes when more than 2 inches accumulates.

The City of Columbia treats priority roads 24 hours per day when needed during a winter storm. First-priority routes in Columbia include Broadway, Green Meadows Road and Vandiver Drive. These are major residential and arterial streets for public safety needs.

Second-priority roads include Derby Ridge Drive, Fairview and Parkade. These are heavily traveled collector and residential streets for public safety and city and school bus routes. These streets connect to schools, hospitals and other critical areas.

Steeple Chase, Dunbar and Keystone are third-priority routes. These roads facilitate vehicle access to first/second priority routes as well as residential neighborhoods.

Downtown streets and priority neighborhoods are listed as priority areas by the city.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is responsible for clearing major roads in and around the Columbia area. Highway 63, Interstate 70, Providence Road, Paris Road, Broadway, Business Loop 70, College Avenue, Range Line Street and Stadium Boulevard are all state-maintained roads.

The City of Columbia says although they are prepared they will be facing some challenges with this storm.

John Ogan with the City of Columbia says,"so the fact it's going to rain up until the point it snows and that's going to frustrate our ability to put treatment down, so any pre-treatment that we put down is going to be washed away by the rain and that's going to make it that we have to be there right when it changes from rain to snow."

The city advises motorists to not hit the roads unless they absolutely have to but if they do they need to be alert of conditions as they change.

Ogan says, "If you do have to travel please keep it slow and give the plow drivers a little bit of room, four-car lanes is good but just give it enough room depending on conditions and that should be sufficient."

The city sends alerts through the Nixle alert service and by texting COLUMBIAPW to 888-777.