Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have been hard at work this week.
Winter weather has struck the majority of the state, creating hazardous conditions across Nebraska highways and interstates. Over a two day span, Monday-Tuesday, NSP Troopers responded to over 350 weather-related incidents. 310 of those were motorist assists, 37 were crashes, and 23 were troopers assisting other agencies.
“We would certainly prefer, if we have a high number, for it to be mostly motorist assists,” State Patrol Spokesman Cody Thomas told KLIN News, “Those are slide offs, vehicles that become disabled, maybe a dead battery, incidents where it’s just not possible to get back on the road.”
Additional snow is possible in portions of the state today and another winter storm is expected later this week. Temperatures will also drop significantly over the next several days with dangerous wind chills expected for nearly all of the state.
Thomas offered as drivers take on the next few days, “Take it slow and give yourself extra stopping distance. If you do get stranded, it’s especially important that you stay in your vehicle. Don’t risk exposure by trying to walk to get help, call for help and stay in your vehicle. That’s the safest place.
He also reminds drivers to outfit your car with a winter survival kit, “Hopefully you don’t need it. But if you do, you want to have a hat, gloves, warm weather gear, that type of thing. Some extra water, a cell phone charger is an absolute must in the vehicle. Maybe some non perishable food. Just things you can leave in there for a while. Because we know there are situations where if you do slide off, if you become stranded, it may not be possible for help to get to you right away. So if you have to stay in the vehicle for a couple hours, we want to make sure you’re safe in those situations too.”
Travelers are urged to stay updated on weather forecasts and always check 511.Nebraska.gov for current road conditions throughout the state. Any motorist in need of assistance can call *55 or 800-525-5555 for the NSP Highway Helpline.