Ice Removal is a Headache for City Workers

I slipped and fell, says Marian Cleaves. It was very icy. Ice covered, snow covered. I simply fell

Marin cleaves is a federal employee who works in downtown Jackson. Today she struggled to get to her car. Wednesday, she came to work and before she knew it she was on her back.

She says, “we’re not used to this because we don't usually get this kind snow in the South.

I would think they would be able to clear it a little bit better. Cleaves might have a bruise but says she doesn’t consider herself injured.

Unless you were in jackson to experience the recent weather, it’s hard to appreciate how bad the frozen rain hit before the snows came. The city’s snow plows couldn’t get their blades close enough to have any impact on the ice.

Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist says, “The city oversees city streets. We salt the streets, we grade the streets. Unfortunately, we had two inches of ice before the snow came. Then another snow for before the snow plows and blades just rode on top of the road because there was no way to get the ice up .so this has been particularly tough.

Wednesday and Thursday city workers spent time chipping away at ice. They were busy pounding ice with shovels and tossing salt.

We're trying to get all of the city buildings clear says JD Sims, and some of them are pretty thick with ice. Especially the steps in the front. It looks easy but it’s not.

Gist says the city has had its share of heavy snowfalls in r but nothing like this.

Sims says his men have 20 to 30 building on their hit list before the weekend.

Sims says Its just tough because whatever we melt the day before, it freezes again that night and then we have to do it again the next day.

Mayor Gist says, “most of the time we have it like this, we may have 6 or 8 inches of show. But in two days it’s gone. But unfortunately, in this case the temperatures dropped 3 and 4 and 8 degrees. And we had ice with snow on top of that so it’s been extremely tough.

You can shovel and toss all the sand you want but in the case of this storm it might be best left to mother nature. This weekend temperatures will be in the upper 50's.