Unalaska, AK – Public safety declared a category two storm Thursday and the city sent most of their employees home early and closed facilities like the library and the PCR. The school also closed early. Acting city manger Tonya Miller said that category two triggers early dismissal because it could lead to a category three situation, where the roads are impassible and students and employees cannot get home.

Acting public safety director Brian Long said category one means that people should be cautious when out on the roads. They declared a category two storm because visibility was low and conditions were very hazardous.

"We spoke with our roads crew at the time and due to the already accumulated snow, the down pouring of snow, and the winds and the drifts that were forming, and the fact that they had been working three, four plus days straight trying to keep up with it," he said. "They were getting hit pretty hard and they were concerned that they wouldn't be able to keep up with it for the rest of the day."

During a category two storm, community members are encouraged to drive only when absolutely necessary. Category three can only be declared by the city manager. It indicates that at least some roads are impassable and you should not be out.

Acting roads chief Jerry Swihart said the biggest concern with the roads at this point is flooding. As snow melts and moves quickly down the hills it can flood the creeks and wash over the roads. The roads crew is working to keep ditches clear for easy water flow, but roads are currently flooding near the elementary school, on E. Broadway, and on Steward Road.

Long said it's important to move slowly through flooded areas and only drive there if necessary. "If people try to rush through it, they could get water intake into their engine, stall out their engine. And apparently a couple of years back that was an issue. We had some folks trying to get through some of these bigger puddles by rushing through it, stalled out thus slowing all the traffic and other cars were stalling out behind them. So it's best not to try to rush through that stuff. If you're not certain you can get through it, you shouldn't try."

The heavy rain also causes avalanches. Thursday night the roads crew blocked off the road to the landfill because they correctly anticipated an avalanche. They cleared the road of mud and snow Friday morning.

The storm broke one of the arms on the airport traffic gate near the powerhouse, too. One of the arms broke on Sunday's storm as well.

The weather is supposed to stay like this for the next three days warm with wind and rain. Swihart said that the ice on the side roads should melt by the end of today. Roads crews are also working to clear higher areas, like Haystack, General's Hill, and Nirvana, but Swihart reminds community members to be patient. Sometimes it's unsafe for graters to go to those areas as well.

As winter continues, please remember you can get notification of weather problems, school closures, road closures, and other emergency information by watching Channel 8 and by listening to KUCB 89.7 FM. You can also call the emergency information line at 581-6080. Public safety updates the line every 12 hours or as conditions change. All three of these sources will be updated if roads close.