As the snow and ice move into the Grand Strand and Pee Dee, people are getting ready. Emergency crews, state troopers, and power companies gear up for whatever comes our way, as people head to the grocery store to buy milk and bread.
As the icy, snowy, wet weather heads to our area, many still plan to be out on the roads for the beginning of the work week.
South Carolina Highway Patrol is bracing for a major storm and expects the conditions to be much worse than the snow storm just a few weeks ago.
"The winter weather that is coming is going to be much different from what we had a couple of weeks ago for Christmas. the snow is much easier to deal with," said Lance Corporal Sonny Collins.
Collins says even if the storm is not as powerful as projected, the Highway Patrol will be on full standby. "Better be safe than sorry anytime. So we're prepared for the worst. Should the storm not be as bad as predicted then great, but if it does come in with the force and the ice they're calling for, then we're ready."
The Department of Transportation and the Highway Patrol suggest that if you are driving be very careful of shaded areas, slow down, and don't follow other vehicles too closely.
But above all, Collins says, "If you don't have to be out Monday morning or during the day or Monday evening then just don't."
If you happen to see a major accident during the severe weather, pull over and dial *HP to alert emergency officials. You can also get traffic information by simply calling 511.
For continuously updated winter weather road conditions, click here for the SCDOT website. www.scdot.org/getting/winterweather.shtml
Crews with the Department of Transportation have been pre-treating roads since Friday for the snow and ice.
They've sprayed interstates and primary roads with a salt brine solution. The wet salt clings to the roads and won't easily bounce off or be swept away by traffic.
DOT says plows and salt spreaders are already loaded and ready to go.
Power company officials in our area say they're ready for possible power outages caused by the winter storm.
Officials with Progress Energy tell us they're closely monitoring the situation.
They're making plans with their operating staff to make sure crews are in the right place at the right time.
As in previous snow and ice storms, officials say they will do their best to restore power as quickly as they can.
Emergency management officials in the Pee Dee had a conference call Sunday afternoon with their state counterparts to discuss response plans to the winter weather.
Right now, Emergency Operations Centers in Horry, Florence and Darlington Counties will remain closed, but will open if necessary.
Officials plan to monitor weather conditions and have extra emergency officials on hand should the need arise.
Grocery stores in the Pee Dee were busier than usual Sunday, with people stocking up on food for the winter weather.
Eggs, bread and milk were flying off the shelves at the Florence Piggly Wiggly on West Palmetto Street.
Store managers say this is a normal routine for many customers whenever we expect snow and ice.
We talked with one shopper who says he just didn't want to take any chances and thought it best to hit the supermarket before the winter weather rolls in.
"It's very important, especially when you got small children. You'VE got to have the necessities to survive - if we can't get out for a couple of days," said Bill Johnson.
Many shoppers we talked with say they're not panicking or over-reacting, but simply being cautious.
NewsChannel 15's Tonya Brown and Ryan Naquin contributed to this report.
