Pa. officials expect storm will create dangerous conditions, result in ‘tragedy’

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said during a briefing Friday that the storm is likely to increase the risk of incidents such as multivehicle accidents and water main breaks. He said heating systems may fail at congregate care facilities or multifamily buildings. Padfield expects that the use of unconventional heating sources will increase the risk of house fires, and incorrect generator use could result in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The sad fact is that despite our best attempts, this storm will mostly result in tragedy somewhere in the commonwealth,” Padfield said.

State officials recommended checking on neighbors and clearing snow from around the nearest fire hydrant, so that fire crews can access it if needed.

Safety on the roads

The best way to stay safe is to stay at home, but if you have to venture out, do so with caution, warned Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

“Remove all snow and ice from your car before returning to the road. Not only is that for safety reasons, but it is also the law. Anything that can become dislodged from your car is then potentially a deadly projectile for others on the roadways,” she said. “Give yourself plenty of extra time because you want to significantly reduce your speed so that you can maintain as much control as possible.”

Tidwell added that having a four-wheel-drive vehicle doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to stop when needed, especially with freezing rain and ice.

“What many people don’t realize is there is no vehicle invincible on a sheet of ice,” she said. “Nothing is going to stop if you start to skid on ice, so don’t let that bring you a false sense of security.”

Tidwell said that staying off the road to give plow drivers a chance to do their job will help clear the roads sooner.

A spokesperson for Philadelphia International Airport said they are urging travelers to consult with their individual airlines for cancellations and changes to flights.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority will have discount parking at their lots as part of the event to help clear the streets.

To receive the discounted $5 rate, customers must bring their ticket and pay at the PPA Management Office in each garage.

Also during the snow emergency, the PPA will enforce all snow emergency routes and safety violations. Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, meter/kiosk and time limit violations on residential blocks will not be enforced until the snow emergency is lifted.

Unprecedented peak electricity demand

The operator of the region’s power grid, PJM Interconnection, said it expects to see record-breaking electricity usage for the next week due to extremely cold temperatures across its entire footprint. PJM manages the electric grid for 13 states and the District of Columbia, an area that serves about 67 million people.

“This is a formidable arctic cold front coming our way, and it will impact our neighboring systems as much as it affects PJM,” Mike Bryson, PJM’s senior vice president for operations, said in a statement. “We will be relying on our generation fleet to perform as well as they did during last year’s record winter peak.”

PJM said it has enough power to last throughout the cold snap this week.

But it expects peak demand to top an unprecedented 130,000 megawatts for each day next week. On Tuesday, when temperatures in some parts of the country are expected to dip into the single digits, PJM said it could break a new daily record on peak load with an expected 147,300 MW of power drawn from the grid. That’s slightly higher than its forecasted peak demand for this winter of 145,700 MW.

PJM has told power generators to halt any maintenance work that would take electricity offline, and to prepare its infrastructure for freezing temperatures.

Snow, ice and downed trees can damage power lines and cause local outages. But the current forecast does not include high winds.

“The good news with this storm, at least right now, is the winds won’t be as severe as we’ve seen with other storms,” said Pennsylvania’s director of  Emergency Management Randy Padfield. “So we think that there will be less potential for significant power outages.”

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is advising residents to make sure cell phones and medical devices are fully charged and to have flashlights ready.

The PUC urges people to stay away from electrical infrastructure and to always assume downed power lines are charged.

Meanwhile, natural gas prices have jumped ahead of the cold snap to $8.15 per million British thermal units as people stock up for space heating. The rise could also contribute to higher electricity prices.