Caution: Preparing for snow, even a trace, is essential public policy

Good communication and early coordination resulted in well-executed preparations ahead of the overnight snowfall in Wayne County Wednesday night into this morning.

Emergency services, the county and city offices, the N.C. Department of Transportation and the school system each took their time and coordinated where possible to decide on safety precautions and closures.

Even the local grocery stores planned ahead and stocked up -- not just so the doomsday preparers could pack away their stores, but so the rest of us might have provisions should the snow stick around a few days.

It is easy to scoff for those who have lived through more frequent or heavier snowfalls, but in a case like this -- in an area such as ours -- it is always best to consider the least prepared and those least accustomed to the conditions when considering preparations and precautions.

Published in Editorials on January 3, 2018 8:42 PM