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During severe winter weather events, the public has an undying need for information — when will their roads be plowed, will schools shut down, is more snow expected? Providing them with constant updates is essential for setting clear expectations about your locality’s snow removal capabilities during a given storm, and it’s likely that the media will seek out local appointed and elected officials for information and interviews.

Local leaders should work closely with the PIO and the municipal’s snow removal agency for constant updates and estimations on the status of snow removal. Use these tips to manage expectations among constituents and to effectively communicate your locality’s snow removal status.

Make an effort to accommodate the media when local snow removal agencies are too busy.

• Local media requests can inundate the municipal agency responsible for snow removal, and in some cases hinder operations. It’s important for the snow removal agency’s director to give at least one or two interviews to demonstrate progress, but local leaders can relieve some of the burden by fulfilling some of these interview requests. Be sure to have a briefing from the PIO or the snow removal agency before any interview.

Be prepared to answer questions about school closings.

• If schools are open, local media will likely ask why road conditions aren’t better; if schools are closed, expect inquiries as to when roads will be clear enough for schools to reopen.

If the media asks, don’t commit to a timeline for when roads will be cleared.

• Local media will likely ask specifically when roads will be cleared; give yourself leeway and provide an estimated range, or don’t commit to a timeline at all. You never know what can happen, so it’s important not to set deadlines your locality’s snow removal agency can’t meet.
• Coordinate with your locality’s snow removal agency prior to any interviews to have an accurate and up-to-date answer.

Have an idea of what the storm will cost.

• Avoid speculating on cost while the event is underway, but be knowledgeable of your snow removal agency’s budget for snow removal and where they are year-to-date if the question does come up. If asked to speculate on storm costs, give a general answer, such as the agency will be over or under budget.

Use social media for constant updates on snow removal status.

• Be honest about snow removal estimations and keep the community updated to manage expectations. It’s better to send a message out at the start saying, “Roads won’t be cleared in 24 hours,” than to set false expectations.
• Use your Twitter and Facebook accounts to re-post and push out the local snow removal agency’s social media messages. When sending out your own messages, make sure to send a message consistent with the snow removal agency’s and approved by incident command’s PIO. Tweets and Facebook posts are effective ways to respond to constituent questions and concerns and to send out updates on cleared roads, where snow plows are headed next and other timely status information.