KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Miami County, Kansas, is bracing for a weekend storm expected to bring heavy snow and ice.
The county road and bridge department is running 12-man crews starting mid-day Saturday to pre-treat roads.
"We have about 335 asphalt lane miles here in Miami county," said Eric Sandberg, Miami County's Road and Bridge Department director. "Our big challenge in Miami county you won't find in the metro is gravel roads. We have roughly 776 miles of gravel roads."
Sandberg says treating gravel roads with traditional salt methods can turn the roads into mud.
Miami County crews are trained to drop plow blades on gravel roads, break up the ice, snow and rock mixture to create traction.
Each driver is expected to cover roughly 80 miles of roadway throughout the county and on gravel roads.
"It’ll take three to four days to get roads cleared if this event does give us seven inches of snow down here," Sandberg said. "In three days, we might make our first pass through everything, that’s kind of our goal."
Miami County is operating road crews around the clock to ensure roadways will be cleared within that window.
"We have men and women out here that have a great sense of pride in what they do," Sandberg said. "We’re here until we go home — this is our job, and we'll be here until the snow is gone and ice is gone."
Pride in one's work correlates to the staff at Paola Hardware.
Centrally located near downtown, Robin Conner and her team is welcoming added business as big box stores in town are feeling the winter storm surge.
"Our customers are using a lot of common sense today," she said. "That is where a small town store has an advantage. You’re going to get in and get some help, get out, and take care of your business."
Steve Courtney is a lifetime Paola, Kansas, resident and purchased sand bags to provide weight in the back of his pick-up.
"I just went up to Walmart — it's busier than Christmas was," Courtney said. "If I can spend here in town, I’m going to spend it here. If you don’t have to get on the highway these days, why do it?"
Courtney told KSHB 41's Ryan Gamboa he's lived through big storms in rural Kansas and never felt concerned until this one.
"In the past, we've all been freaked out but I think this one is going to hit," he said.
Shopping small while bracing for mother nature's wrath means everything to Conner and her team.
"It's being helpful. We're a community. I guess a civic responsibility," Conner said. "That’s the great thing about a small town. If someone needs help, we’re gonna help them. We don’t do that enough.”
Miami County officials ask residents to stay home unless travel is necessary.
In rural communities where services become more sparse, it's recommended to throw extra blankets in your car, including water and snacks.
"Don't go out unless you have to," Courtney said.
Sandberg added for the safety of residents and his crews to slow down, give yourself added travel time, and remain from travel if you can.
Road conditions can change rapidly as winds increase and snow drifts can close a gravel county road in a matter of 10 minutes.
"We’re not gonna go home until the roads are safe to travel on," Sandberg said.
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