February 16, 2019   

In Review: The Big Snow

Thus he makes the snow like wool, and spreads the frost like ash; He disperses hail like crumbs. Who can withstand his cold? Yet when again he issues his command, it melts them; he raises his winds and the waters flow. -  Ps 147:16-18

This past week has been a challenging one for our parish family dealing with unusual snow, slush and ice, both in our own neighborhoods and our parish home. The difficult conditions required closure of our parish grounds and facilities for the better part of the week. Such a decision is not an easy one, as our parish life is so full of activities and prayer which define us as a community. Here are some details which help  complete the picture of the situation:

The pre-storm event of the social hall floodwater being pumped into the lower parking lot (see earlier article below) made for extremely dangerous conditions as cold temperatures created our “skating rink” with ice as high as the parking lot speed bumps. Continued cold and stormy conditions made its removal problematic. This required traffic to be restricted to only the upper lot.

The storms that followed accumulated more than 8 inches of snow, far beyond the capability of our own snow removal resources. The combination of ensuing wet snow, rain and freezing rain resulted in a deep accumulation of heavy, wet-concrete slush, with layers of hard ice beneath.

Staff and volunteers who came to assess the situation realized quickly how unsafe the conditions were for both automotive and foot traffic. Being that parishioner safety is a primary concern the decision was made to close the campus and remain linked with the Kent School District closures which allowed the easiest means of communicating our status. Note: those who subscribe to our parish communication network, Flocknote, have received regular updates as the week progressed.

It would finally require a commercial snow removal company with heavy equipment to sand and clear the lots. We found ourselves one of many clients waiting for these services. When they were able to work on our property it would take more than 6 hours with multiple machines and at least 2 truckloads of sand!

In addition to the parking lot concerns, staff and volunteers needed to address the effect of this heavy snow load on the roofs of both the main Church and Outreach Annex. Repairs were necessary and channels were dug in the snow to allow for water to properly drain and avoid catastrophic damage.

Efforts are underway to further clear the parking lot and walkways. Special thanks to the staff and volunteers who worked through their own storm related challenges to come and care for our facility. A thank you also goes to parishioners who understood these challenges and honored the closure. Our parish is rarely such a cold, quite place but this allowed work to go forward as needed and insured the safety of all.