It will be next week before the town crew has cleared away the more than 14 inches of snow that blanketed Norfolk on Monday, First Selectman Henry Tirrell predicts. “It’s an absurd amount of snow,” he said. “It will be a while before we have cleared all the sidewalks and sight lines.”
Monday’s storm was “very intense,” he said. “The town crew was out 24 hours straight. They would come in and take a break, but with a storm like that, if you don’t move it, it gets to the point where it almost impossible to handle.”
With the crew barely recovered from that, more 2 inches of snow hit on Wednesday, forcing school to close or be delayed for the third day in a row.
Asked if he is facing a deficit in the amount budgeted for overtime work, he said he will have a better idea next week. Because storms have consistently swept through the region on weekends and holidays this winter, the overtime line item is being stretched. “With snow removal, what else are you going to do?” he said. “It’s been a horrible winter.”
Statewide, towns and cities are facing salt shortages and are working to conserve its use on snowy roads. “It’s been a constant struggle coordinating salt deliveries,” said Tirrell. “The last couple of deliveries have been untreated salt, which is not as effective with the equipment we have.”
Treated salt is standard rock salt coated with liquid agents to improve melting efficiency, reduce corrosion of trucks and enhance adhesion to road surfaces. It acts faster and works at lower temperatures.
The Norfolk crew has been stretching its untreated salt by mixing it with sand.
Salt exists at regional distribution hubs but getting it to towns has been challenged by a lack of truck drivers and equipment and supply chain bottlenecks when ports are shut down due to icy conditions.