Full Notification

COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Sheriff’s Office Provides Weather Resource Information and Safe Driving Tips - January 31, 2011

Sheriff Keith Nygren would like to remind all residents of McHenry County of several safe driving tips and has provided links to several resources informing residents of building closures and on road conditions.

• The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office communicates with the public through several outlets you can register with. You can sign up to receive email or text messages from Nixle at www.nixle.com . Nixle messages can be alerts, advisories, community messages, or traffic alerts. The Sheriff’s Office also may send out text and email alerts to registered users of Northwest Herald “TextAlerts” system. Sign up at www.nwherald.com and click on the Text Alerts box.
• The McHenry County Government Center will post Building Closures on the Emergency Closing Center website: http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/ecc/home.jsp Sign up to be notified for up to two “closure” notifications through email. Enter in the Facility Name “McHenry County Government Center.”
• For Road Conditions on State Highways in Illinois, visit Illinois Department of Transportation site for information: http://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/ and click on Winter Road Conditions.
• Information on Wisconsin Road Conditions: http://www.dot.state.wi.us/travel/

Here are a few suggestions the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office has to help you drive safely.

• WATCH OUT FOR BLOWING OR DRIFTING SNOW on the roadways. This occurs especially in rural areas where there is nothing to slow down the strong winds.
• Please SLOW DOWN and watch out for black ice, drive at slow speeds as you may come across unsafe road conditions.
• Consider turning on your headlights or parking lights for other drivers to see you better.
• Please be aware of other drivers on the roadway and use defensive driving tactics.
• During the worst parts of these storms, it is strongly advised to not drive if you do not need to.
• Please take all appropriate precautions and emergency supplies with you if you do have to drive. Travel with a charged cellular phone, additional warm clothes, a full tank of gasoline, etc.
• Please allow snow plow drivers room to work clearing the roadways.
• In an event of an emergency please call 911 for assistance.