January 12, 1977

More snow predicted

       The National Weather Service today predicted more snow after midnight for central Indiana which spent most of today shoveling out of a snowstorm which left most of the state paralyzed.  The NWS statement today contained the following forecast: “Cloudy tonight with snow likely after midnight…. Snow likely Thursday with some accumulation.”  The forecast of additional snow would compound the woes of Johnson county residents and motorists who began bailing out of a seven-inch snowstorm around noon Tuesday.
 

Power outage

          A power outage in scattered areas throughout Johnson county Tuesday night left some 800 homes without heat and lights for as long as 11½ hours.  Dan Jackson, a representative of  Johnson County REMC, said power had been restored to all homes connected to the Stones Crossing substation by 10:15 a.m. this morning.  Some power was restored by 4:30 a.m.  Hardest hit was the service area in White River township, although some homes in southeastern, Johnson County were also without power.  The first outages were reported about 4:30 p.m.  Jackson stated that the outages occurred when lines, expanded by the extreme cold temperatures Tuesday, tightened, burned out and broke.

         He said all available men were out working in the severely cold weather to mend broken lines.  In some places, he said, work crews had to cross snow covered county roads on foot to reach downed lines.  The problem was complicated, Jackson said, because the workmen would get one section restored only to have them go out again as additional sections were added.  Obviously upset at the situation, the REMC representative apologized for the inconvenience and thanked customers for their patience.  “It’s hard to remedy acts of God,” he commented.

         In case of  power outages, Jackson said, residents should turn off all appliances and lights that they will not need when the power is restored.  This, he said, reduces the “start-up load,”  helping to get the electricity on again.  He also urged customers to notify the company of outages.  Jackson praised workers who braved the cold temperatures throughout the night, noting that many worked nearly 20 hours to help restore the power.  “A lot of fellows really put their hearts out,” he stated.  All public schools throughout Johnson County were closed again today for the second consecutive day due to harsh weather conditions.

         Firefighters from White River Township Volunteer Fire Department were kept extremely busy in sub-zero weather conditions Tuesday as they battled two major mobile home fires around 10:30 a.m. in the Wheel Estates Trailer Park and made a total of seven fire runs Tuesday.  Fire and rescue workers in White River Township logged seven runs during Tuesday’s severe weather.  Five of the calls were fire runs according to Sandy McAllister, a spokeswoman for the White River Township Fire Department.

         Pat McDaniel, wife of fire inspector Dave McDaniel and a former firefighter herself, noted that it was a harrowing day for the firemen.  “It was pitiful,” she said.  “The hoses were a mess and the firemen’s coats were frozen on them.”  She said firemen were at the station until 10 p.m. cleaning up equipment.  One pumper truck “froze up” according to fire chief Bob Wehrman.  The wind chill factor during the fires Tuesday plummeted from 20 to 39 degrees below zero.  Bargersville Firefighters were called out in the cold about 11:30 p.m. when a fire was reported.  The call was a false alarm.
 

Roads

          Road conditions throughout Johnson County remained ice-covered, slick and hazardous.  A slight “warming trend” to 15 today wasn’t expected to make much of a dent in those adverse road conditions.  There were not reports of any major highways being closed in the county.  Drifting snow throughout Tuesday made driving hazardous, even on main roads in Johnson County.  Two Johnson County sheriff’s deputies had vehicles mired down in the snow over night on county roads.  Southbound motorists on I-65 were rerouted onto U.S. 31 in Bartholomew County this morning after a semi-trailer accidentally jackknifed on I-65 near the Taylorsville interchange.
 

Greenwood area

          Greenwood Mayor Larry Myers today said that should any power problems occur in the Greenwood area, the city building will be kept open and those in need could go there for shelter and warmth.  Myers noted that nearly all city streets remain “extremely hazardous” and said that city street employees were putting sand on main intersections, but that they could not do much beyond that while temperatures remain so cold.  Many areas of Indiana remained snow-bound today with travelers stranded, and motorists who could move had to deal with snow and ice-covered roads.

    

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