12:30 a.m. - Mayor Kasim Reed Joins Governor Sonny Perdue in Declaring a State of Emergency Due to 2011 Winter Storm

Mayor Reed urges all Atlantans to stay in doors and off the roads

Mayor Reed on Sunday joined Governor Sonny Perdue in calling for a state of emergency in the city of Atlanta and urged all Atlantans to stay indoors and off the roads.

“We are facing a serious storm, which will have a critical impact on the City of Atlanta and the state of Georgia,” said Mayor Reed. “I am asking Atlanta residents to exercise extreme caution, place their safety first and stay off the roads, if possible. Throughout the duration of this storm, my Administration will be working diligently to ensure that city operations are functioning as efficiently as possible.”

To be better prepared for inclement weather conditions, the City of Atlanta has created and implemented an improved and more robust snow and ice response plan.

For the inclement weather, the city is utilizing the Joint Operations Command center, located at the City of Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters. Open and fully-staffed, the Command Center will be open and staffed 24-7 through the duration of the storm. The Command Center allows city personnel to work together, in one central location, and coordinate emergency response activities across all city departments and other municipal agencies.

The city’s Office of Recreation has prepared 100 beds for families in need of shelter due to power outages. At noon on Monday, January 10, 2011, the Old Adamsville Recreation Center (located at 3404 Delmar Lane SW) will open with the city's emergency shelter plan in effect and remain operational until further notice. In the event of further need for assistance, the Office of Recreation will provide limited sheltering at Rosel Fann Recreation Center (located at 365 Cleveland Avenue SE).

Road safety and accessibility are key factors in ensuring the safety and drivability of the roadways. The city’s goal is to maintain access in the immediate vicinity of emergency facilities such as hospitals, police and fire stations and emergency shelters; maintain a network of key, pre-selected and prioritized routes that provide reasonable access to most areas of the city; and make all city streets accessible as quickly as possible. Atlanta’s priority mission covers 200 centerline miles of roadways including 40 bridges, 6 hospitals, and 16 Police Precincts.

The City of Atlanta is asking residents, if possible, to not park on the following main thoroughfares to assist with plowing operations: 14th Street, 17th Street, International Boulevard, Marietta Boulevard, Marietta Street, Martin Luther King Drive, Northside Drive, Moreland Avenue, Peachtree Road, Peters Street, Piedmont Road, Roswell Road, Spring Street, West Peachtree Street, Whitehall Street and Williams Street.

The Department of Aviation is fully-staffed and prepared for the winter weather event. The snow desk opened Sunday night at 7pm and will remain open throughout the duration of the event. All airport operations and maintenance employees are working 12-hour shifts to make ensure that runways, taxiways, airport road ways and terminal buildings are kept in operational order.

We have been in constant communication with the airlines, which thinned their operations starting Sunday evening. Collectively, the airlines have cancelled 60 percent of their flights through Tuesday morning. They are anticipating recovering and being back to normal by midday Tuesday. All passengers should check with airlines prior to coming to the airport. The airport is coordinating all of our efforts in cooperation with the FAA Air Traffic Control Group.

Public Works departmental resources will be used first and then the full capabilities of the entire City of Atlanta will be deployed as needed by using assets from other departments or governments in a staged fashion, depending upon the severity of the conditions.

As part of the updated snow/ice plan, the City of Atlanta is deploying the following resources:

Public Works

• Eight sand trucks

• Seven chase vehicles

• 500 tons of sand mixture

Parks and Recreation

• Two Tandems with Operators

• Pickups as needed to address park and recreation center (shelters) drives and walks

• Tree crews with dump and bucket trucks to address fallen trees

Watershed Management

• Five Tandem Dump Trucks with Operators

• Two Flatbed Trucks with Operators

Airport

• Resources as allowed in case of emergency and not to impact airport operations in any way

State of Georgia

• Multiple sand spreaders and other resources as needed and available (for state routes)

• Priority routes are consistent with the functional street classification hierarchy, which is based on the volume of traffic served and the connectivity provided:

• First priority routes reflect major arterial streets; (e.g. Peachtree Street, Northside Drive, and Mitchell Street)

• Second priority routes include minor arterials and collectors; (e.g. Howell Mill Road, Campbellton Road, and Monroe Drive)

• Third priority routes are comprised of minor collectors and major local streets (e.g. West Wesley, Avon Avenue, and Beecher Road)

In parallel with completing priority routes, crews will continue to canvass designated areas and respond to dispatched calls received from Police and other emergency personnel as well as reports from citizens. For reporting of ice or hazardous roadway conditions, please call 404-853-3200. When the city is significantly impacted by weather conditions, Public Works operations will work around the clock to ensure roadways are clear and safe.