- Suwannee County prepares for potential snow and ice.
- Local emergency management coordinates with agencies for neighbor safety.
- Residents and road crews take action to protect homes and roads.
- WATCH the video to see how neighbors and officials are Preparing
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Kenzie Krueger reporting from Live Oak, where emergency management and residents are bracing for the impact of a rare winter storm expected to bring frozen precipitation to Suwannee County.
Thad Nobles, a lifelong resident of Live Oak, recalls the last time snow fell in the area—Christmas 1989.
“My son was born during Christmas ’89, and it froze up and snowed. Thank God he was three days late, but yeah, that’s the last time I remember,” Nobles said.
Nobles spent the day preparing his home and assisting his neighbors.
“I’ve been across the street trying to get my neighbors and pipes wrapped,” he added.
Public safety personnel are also taking no chances. Suwannee County Director of Emergency Management Chris Volz said they are coordinating efforts across agencies to ensure residents are protected.
“We’re preparing for the worst,” Volz stated.
“We’re preparing a plan for everybody to be able to deal with whatever comes our way. We do know that we are going to get frozen precipitation—there’s no question about that—but we don’t know how much it will be.”
Volz advises residents to gather essential supplies and stay off the roads as much as possible during the storm.
Meanwhile, road crews are salting and sanding key routes to mitigate icy conditions, and a warming shelter has been set up at 1302 11th Street, Live Oak, FL, to assist anyone in need.
With the weather’s unpredictability, community members are leaning on each other.
“We just have to hunker down and help each other out,” Nobles said.
Suwannee County’s resilience is on full display as the region faces this unusual winter event.
