Video: Marion County Spends Tuesday Under A Civil Emergency

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MARION COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)-While many parts of our viewing got a mixture of winter weather. Many in parts of Alabama spent their day under a civil emergency.

From icy bridges to mounds of snow. Old man winter’s aftermath was a cause for concern in Marion County Alabama. EMA director Jimmy Mills called for a civil emergency, and warned residents about the dangers of icy accumulation.

“We sent that out asking people to stay off the roads unless it was on emergency travel urgent travel,” says Jimmy Mills.

That’s because, like parts of North Mississippi, bridges and roadways in West Alabama were covered with sheets of ice. But, Mills says local crews are prepared.

“Our fire department here is pretty much the back bone of the county. Our volunteer fire department are ready to respond 911 dispatches them out,” says Mills.

“We just really ramped up our staffing we moved some tools around so that we would have more specific vehicles to respond to a certain type of call and things of that nature,” says McCracken.

In Hamilton, assistant fire chief, Matthew McCracken says his department urges people to proceed on their roads with caution.

Even though many roads and bridges are slowly de-thawing in Marion County first responder say many residents are still staying home; which makes their job a little easier.

“Helps us obviously because if they don’t get out on the road and cause an incident or accident or have an accident on the road the we don’t have to respond to it and best,” says McCracken.

Lamar County was also under a civil emergency Tuesday that was lifted ealier in the evening.