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Where many communities south of the city reported numerous accidents and emergency medical calls during the recent winter storm that started on Christmas Eve, Kearney remained relatively calm.

“We may have even been down some on calls,” said Fire Chief Larry Pratt of the Kearney Fire and Rescue Protection District. “It looks like most people stayed in and took it easy.”

Pratt said that is always a sound idea during major snowstorms.

“You don’t want to be out in it if you don’t need to be,” he said.

The fire chief said those who do go out need to always be aware of the conditions, even when they seem to be improving.

He said they’ve often seen accidents occur when people start going too fast as crews start clearing roads.

The Missouri Department of Transportation offers additional advice for motorists, including wearing a seat belt, giving snowplows plenty of room, remember that driving is most dangerous when temperatures are near 32 degrees and watch for other vehicles having problems with the road conditions.

The advice to stay alert carries over to other outdoor pursuits.

“If you start getting a numbing feeling, that’s a good sign it’s time to go in,” Pratt said. “It gets people in trouble when they don’t pay attention to that.”

He also agreed that anyone having difficulty breathing or chest pain should call 911 immediately.

Additional advice for outdoor activity is for parents to pay attention how their children are dressed, including for sledding.

“Children need to be bundled up, properly clothed,” he said

That includes wearing gloves or mittens and a hat.

Sledding should also never be done on or near a street.

Pratt also suggested ice skating at a rink, not on ponds.

“You just never know how solid the ice is,” he said of the outdoor venues.

vehicle winter kit

- A flashlight with extra batteries

- A first aid kit with a pocketknife

- Blankets or sleeping bags

- Extra gloves, socks, a warm hat and rain gear

- Sand to use for traction

- A small shovel

- Booster cables

- Nonperishable food and bottled water

- Matches and candles

Source: Missouri Department of Transportation

snow in kearney

- As of 7 a.m. Dec. 25, 5 inches of snow accumulated

- By Dec. 27, 9.1 inches of snow accumulated in parts of the Kansas City area.

- As of 10 a.m. Dec. 30, Kearney saw an additional 1.7 inches of snow accumulation.

- City of Kearney crews drove over 1,800 miles plowing snow Dec. 24 to 27.

- Drifting snow caused more problems than usual.

- Residents should move cars off the street for the plows to be effective.

- City staff hit two mailboxes while plowing. The city will replace those.

- The city does not have the equipment to effectively clear sidewalks, there is also risk to damaging private property.

- It is illegal for private contractors clearing parking lots to push snow into the streets, the city had a problem with one contractor during the snowstorm.

Sources: Jim Eldridge, city administrator; National Weather Service

Senior writer Mark Johnson can be reached at 628-6010 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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