Governor activates State Emergency Operations Center in advance of winter storm

(From Gov. Eric Greitens)

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from late Thursday night through Saturday for much of Missouri – a wide swath of the Interstate 44 corridor from Joplin to St. Louis. Significant ice accumulations could down trees and power lines leading to power outages. The weather service continues to refine its forecast for the timing of the storm and possible accumulation totals.

In response to this Winter Storm Watch, Governor Greitens this afternoon issued Executive Order No. 17-05 activating the Missouri State Emergency Operations Center.

Governor Greitens released the following statement: “I’ve directed the Department of Public Safety to activate the Missouri State Emergency Operations Center in anticipation of the severe winter storm expected to begin tomorrow night. We will keep the public updated, and the Department of Public Safety will keep people informed of best practices and the scale of the storm. Everyone should be aware that this potential weather event could disrupt travel and cause power outages across the state. We will be closely monitoring the situation as it develops. Our team is working closely with the Department of Public Safety and other state agencies to make safety through this storm our top priority.”

“With the forecast calling for much of Missouri to potentially be impacted by freezing rain and accumulating ice, the time to prepare is right now,” DPS Director Drew Juden said. “We have been tracking the storm system throughout the week and we are in close coordination with the Governor, state and federal agencies, and response partners to ensure we are prepared to respond to this potentially significant winter storm. The State Emergency Management Agency and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are already implementing their coordinated response plans to ensure that the right resources are in the areas where they are expected to be needed.”