As a winter storm threatens the area, Cincinnati leaders have a simple message: stay home. Mayor Aftab Pureval says predicted ice and snow will make travel hazardous for the next few days.
"Our public service crews will be working literally around the clock to keep the roads as clear as possible," he says. "But I want to urge that patience and caution are necessary for all of us to support their incredibly important efforts."
Cincinnati's Road Operations superintendent says this winter storm, as predicted, is one of the worst combinations the city could expect. Jarrod Bolden says crews won't be able to pre-treat the roads.
"When you're getting the amount of rain that's predicted, putting down material, it would wash away," Bolden says. "What we don't want to do is put down some material… it would just be ineffective and just wash away."
Bolden says when they do start to work on clearing the roads, crews will focus on main thoroughfares first, before tackling residential streets.
Bolden says people should know: clearing the streets is going to take time, and if possible, people should stay off the roads. "It'll allow our trucks to safely move throughout the roads and treat the conditions as best as possible. It's not going to be a quick event. It's going to take some time. We'll be out here until it's done."
The city's road crews start on 12-hour shifts at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jarrod Bolden's name.
