Dear Mentor residents,
The City of Mentor has been preparing for the pending winter storm all week. We have been in close communication with the Lake County EMA, National Weather Service, ODOT, other municipalities, and other agencies.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU
Public Works, Police, and Fire crews will be fully staffed throughout the event with additional resources on-call if necessary. Mentor offices will remain open on Friday, December 23, 2022, and key personnel will be on-call throughout the storm monitoring the situation and deploying available resources to ensure public safety. We will communicate information to the public as it becomes available.
STAY UP TO DATE
Important information related to this storm will be posted to www.cityofmentor.com/news, the City of Mentor Facebook and Twitter feeds, and sent through the Lake County WENS (Reverse 911) system.
Please do not call 911 regarding power outages, roadway conditions, or other general questions. Only call 911 if you are experiencing an emergency.
STORM UPDATES
The latest forecasts indicate that the front is expected to move through the area overnight just before dawn. For progress on the storm, please tune in to your local TV channels or obtain updates directly from the National Weather Service – Cleveland office on their website, Facebook, or Twitter pages.
ROADWAYS
15 to 20 Mentor Public Works vehicles will be staged in preparation for the storm and will be working 24/7 throughout the snow event. Rain is expected to turn to snow in predawn hours so effective pretreatment may not be an option. As temperatures drop, crews will be transitioning from salt to a beet juice solution as salt has little effect under 15° F.
Our goal is to keep roadways passable, with final cleanup to occur as conditions allow. Primary roads will receive the most attention, with secondary routes, and neighborhood streets addressed next.
Driving conditions are expected to be adverse through Sunday morning. With respect to the fact that this is a holiday weekend, please limit travel if possible. For information on highway conditions, visit the ODOT website for real-time traffic or follow them on Twitter.
SNOW PARKING BAN
A parking ban will be in effect at 4:00 AM on Friday, December 23, 2022, until further notice. No parking on Mentor city streets so that crews can effectively remove any accumulating snow. The ban will be lifted as conditions permit.
POWER OUTAGES
With projected sustained winds of 40 to 50 MPH, and gusts in excess of 60 MPH, power outages are expected throughout the region. If you experience a power outage, report the outage IMMEDIATELY and DIRECTLY to First Energy. Repair crews are dispatched based on outage impact so don’t hesitate to call. Click here for more information on how to report or be updated on outages.
WASTE & RECYCLING PICKUP
Curbside pickup for those customer who receive service from Waste Management is NOT expected to be delayed next week due to the Christmas holiday or the winter storm. Should this change, we will post a notification on our website and social media channels. Customers are encouraged to manage their accounts online and sign up for change in service notifications on the Waste Management website.
SHOULD AN EMERGENCY BE DECLARED
In the event widespread power outages occur as a result of the storm, the Lake County Emergency Management Agency may declare an emergency. Should that occur, warming stations and other resources throughout Lake County will be activated and that information will be shared with the public at that time.
Thanks to our residents for your patience and understanding. We wish you a safe and Merry Christmas holiday.