EDINA, Minn. — City public works crews have been working hard this winter.
After last week’s snow event, they’re now preparing for a thunderstorm and a possible hard freeze later this week.
"Some very unique snow events,” Edina Street Superintendent Shawn Anderson says.
His biggest concern is street flooding.
Anderson says a lot of the snow that fell last week is still clogging up storm drains.
“We want to make sure that we have as much of that snow out of the way so the water can find its way into the storm sewers and not build up on the roads,” Anderson explains.
Water on the street is never a good thing, because it can cause hydroplaning and car crashes.
But if that water freezes, it can become a much bigger problem.
“We would go from having puddles of water to having ice to deal with,” Anderson says.
The city of Edina has ice removal crews ready to go in case that happens, but Anderson says it’s more effective to simply prevent that ice from forming in the first place.
That’s why he sent out several crews Wednesday morning to clear up storm drains ahead of the storm.
“Our crews have already dealt with a lot this winter. They’ve been working since Friday, diligently, and the guys have done a great job,” Anderson says.
And you can help them out by clearing out any clogged storm drains in your neighborhood.
It’s also important for residents to report street flooding quickly so crews can fix the problem as soon as possible.