Sheriff Jack Hall announces changes to the way his office declares snow emergencies

Lorain County Sheriff Jack Hall has changed the way his office declares snow emergencies, getting rid of the old system of three levels and starting up a new system featuring only two. Snow emergencies will now be area-specific, not countywide Hall said, as he replaces the traditional three-level snow emergency system with two "clearly defined" notifications: the "Snow Emergency Advisory" and a "Travel Ban." The Sheriff's Office will communicate the alerts on social media, such as its Facebook page, on the Sheriff's Office website at loraincountysheriff.com, on the Lorain County Sheriff's Office smartphone application and through the county's text alert program. In a news release, Hall said the change is to "better reflect the size of our county and the reality that winter weather does not impact all areas the same." Level 1, 2, or 3 snow emergencies will no longer be declared throughout the county, but emergencies and road closures will be issued when conditions only affect certain locations. Hall said this will be done in consultation with county commissioners, township trustees, city mayors and managers. A virtual emergency operations center will open during severe or significant weather events to coordinate response with local leaders, road crews and law enforcement using current weather data. Winter weather impacting a specific city, township or area will see the sheriff's office working "directly with that area's mayor, manager or trustee(s) to assess conditions and determine appropriate action," Hall said. This will make sure decisions are made locally, road condition assessments are accurate, actions taken for public safety are timely and appropriate and that residents get clear, accurate guidance on what to do, Hall said. Snow Emergency Advisory A "Snow Emergency Advisory" will be issued when winter weather begins to significantly impact a specific area of Lorain County."This advisory serves as an early warning to help residents make safe decisions before conditions become dangerous," Hall's office said. At this stage, snow and road conditions are deteriorating; local leaders and the sheriff will be actively coordinating response; residents should use caution, limit travel when possible, and monitor updates; and emergency services and road crews are preparing for worsening conditions. Travel Ban A "Travel Ban" will be issued when road conditions in a specific area become dangerous or unsafe. This stage will be used "only when necessary to protect lives and allow emergency responders and road crews to operate safely," Hall's office said. At that stage, all roads in specific areas or the county will be closed to non-emergency personnel and travel will be "strongly discouraged" except in case of "true" emergencies, Hall said. People traveling during a travel ban may be subject to arrest and a charge of misconduct at an emergency, a misdemeanor, the sheriff's office said.To subscribe to the free Lorain County CodeRed emergency alert system, text "LORAINCO" to 24639 or 36475 on your phone. The county Emergency Management Agency said text alerts will come from either of those numbers. Voice messages will come from the number (206) 536-3695, which may appear to originate from Seattle, Washington, the EMA said. To avoid confusion, it recommends saving the number in your phone as "CodeRED" or "Lorain County Alerts."