The following statement is from Lt. T. Potter of the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Department:

Personnel with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office have spent the day preparing for the upcoming winter weather. Our first priority is the safety and well-being of all citizens in Isle of Wight County.

We have scheduled extra personnel to supplement each shift and have also adjusted our fleet of patrol vehicles to ensure that we are able to reach our citizens, should the need arise.

As you can imagine, with over 360 square miles to patrol, the ability to reach all areas of the county is a priority.

We ask that you limit travel over the next 24 hours. We expect our secondary roads to be impassable and the primary roads to be dangerous.

In the event of careless and unnecessary travel, our deputies may be tied up assisting stranded motorists and could be delayed in responding to 911 emergencies.

In the event of an emergency, our 911 center will be staffed and can be reached by calling or texting 911. Please limit all 911 calls to true EMERGENCIES. All other calls and requests for information should be directed to our non-emergency number, 757-357-2151.

In the event that some of our citizens do not have adequate shelter during the winter weather, please take advantage of the local network of winter shelters.

The “Network of Hope” winter shelters provides persons a safe, warm place to stay in local churches during the nighttime hours. Information on the current shelter schedule can be obtained by calling our non-emergency number at 757-357-2151.

Please stay tuned to your local news media, as well as the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and various Twitter accounts for updates as the winter storm passes over our area.