The Southeast Highway Department wants to provide the best possible service clearing our streets of snow and ice. Here are a few tips you can follow to help us do our job:

• Don’t drive unnecessarily in a storm especially during severe snowstorms and freezing rain.
• If a storm is anticipated, remove vehicles from the roadside shoulders. This allows plows to clear the area the first time through, making return trips unnecessary.
• Do not shovel or blow snow into the road or have your driveway plowed into the road. This can cause a serious traffic hazard.
• Help reduce the possibility of a broken mailbox post. Plow operators are urged to take precautions to avoid hitting mailbox posts; however, experience has shown that reduced visibility during a storm makes it difficult for a driver to see a post in time to avoid striking it or pushing it over with plowed snow. Any installation within the right-of-way, including a mailbox, is placed there at the owner’s risk. Therefore, residents are encouraged to install mailboxes at the maximum usable distance from the edge of the roadway. Posts should also be checked for deterioration to reduce the possibility that the weight of the plowed snow may simply break the post.
• Don’t be misled by trucks running with their plows raised—they may be returning for fuel or heading to another area.
• Avoid calling municipal offices during a storm for routine matters. Personnel are extremely busy dealing with storm conditions. It is best to keep the telephone lines clear for emergencies.