ERIE COUNTY, Ohio — The winter storm dropped heavy snow in Erie County, prompting a Level 3 Snow Emergency, which typically means roads are closed to all except emergency vehicles.
In turn, a Level 3 means you could be arrested if found driving on the roads other than for an emergency.
"We determined that conditions on the roads were just too dangerous for folks to be out and about. The road crews were saying that they had very limited visibility and they were running off the road in the ditches with the snowplows because they could not see,” said Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth.
Sigsworth said getting to Level 3 is not common in the area.
"Our road crews do a great job, and they keep the roads in very good shape. But in this case, Mother Nature was calling the tune here, and it was, just it got to be too much,” said Sigsworth.
Sandusky resident Sean Midkif says this was the most snow he has ever seen in Sandusky. He spent most of the last few days clearing his and his neighbor’s sidewalks and driveways.
"I was like holy moly, the snow just kept coming down, and the ice was all over the roads,” said Midkif.
After the snow stopped Tuesday night, Jennifer Ray went to help clear roads for her father and his neighbors who live out in the country.
"It's nasty, and actually, it was worse on my way back than it was out there today. There are some streets that still have six inches drifting across the roads,” said Ray.
Erie County is now under a Level 2 Snow Emergency, which means that there is still drifting snow with ice on the roads, but the visibility has vastly improved.
