CHATHAM, Va. – The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors has declared a local state of emergency in anticipation of severe winter weather that is projected to hit the region Wednesday night into Thursday. The National Weather Service is predicting about half an inch of ice will accumulate in most of Pittsylvania County, likely toppling power lines and trees and leading to power outages just like the ice on Saturday did.

“We saw how significant the impact that this past weekend’s ice and winter weather had on our community, and we want to enable our emergency department to respond as needed in the coming days,” said Bob Warren, Chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors.

Many volunteer fire departments have opened their doors to the public in the last few days to ensure that area residents have access to heat and can charge electronics and will continue to do so in the coming days.

Photo: David Hutcheson