Berks County prepares to get walloped by snow after mild winters in Pennsylvania
EXETER TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- On the eve of a snowstorm long overdue in Pennsylvania, hardware stores were bustling in Berks County as people scrambled to grab the essentials.
"We got the biggest salt spreader that they had, they got two at the shop," said John Gonzalez of Bernville. "(We bought) some shovels."
At the Exeter Township Police Department, crews loaded their trucks with salt and are preparing to brine the roads on Wednesday morning.
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"I mean we've had a few inches here or there, but we're really set to get walloped tomorrow," said Sergeant Sean Fullerton.
Police say it has been a while since the state got this much snow. They said it's easy to forget how treacherous it can be and are advising everyone to stay home.
"Usually the first snowfall on the roads is pretty hectic as far as crashes goes," said Fullerton. "We really want people to slow down, give yourself a huge cushion of safety if you're driving on a snowy roadway."
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The Reading Public Works crews have already salted the streets to mitigate snow accumulation and salting will continue as snow events intensify.
Berks County officials said they have extra staffing for the 911 call centers and advise everyone to hunker down.
"People should be preparing for extended power outages throughout this time. You can expect the trees to be coming down and taking out wires and things like that," said Sean Hart, deputy director of emergency services for Berks County.
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