x
Breaking News
More () »

Heavy Snow Causes Problems in Wayne County

HONESDALE — There really wasn’t a lot of snow that fell overnight, mostly a wet, heavy mix of rain, sleet, and snow. It made for trouble in parts of...

HONESDALE -- There really wasn't a lot of snow that fell overnight, mostly a wet, heavy mix of rain, sleet, and snow. It made for trouble in parts of our area including Wayne County.

PPL is reporting only a couple hundred homes and businesses without power in the area, but many more were in the dark Tuesday morning while just about everyone had to deal with a thick, slushy snow.

The snow throwers really came in handy on this day when the wet, heavy snow made for tough shoveling. Utility crews were busy helping to restore power throughout parts of Wayne and Pike Counties.

Even the heavy duty equipment had some trouble with the layers of snow, sleet, and ice in the parking lot of Honesdale High School.

 

Just down the road, high school senior Matthew Blaine was off from school and on the job, clearing his sidewalk and his neighbor's driveway.

"It started to freeze on the bottom, then it got really heavy with all the rain on top. It’s not fun," said Blaine.

 

Carolyn Reinhart is glad to have someone like Matthew to handle the hefty task.

"He’s young and strong, and I’m not," Reinhart said. "I am so lucky to have him. The first day I moved in here, there was snow. He knocked on my door and said, 'Would you like me to shovel your sidewalk?' I said, 'Knock yourself out.'"

 

"You should definitely take your time and not hurt yourself. I do it for them because it’s a lot easier for me than them," Blaine said.

The teen has a point. That's why Newswatch 16 met with Mike Buck, a physical therapist with Wayne Memorial Health System.

"You want to work smarter, not harder," he said.

According to Buck, the first rule is to lift with your legs and take the right amount of snow in each swipe of the shovel.

"You want to put the thumb down be able to pull more, then you don’t want to be the snow thrower. Take it where you want to go. Dump it. Place the snow, so you’re not hoisting and twisting back and feel it the next three days."

Physical therapists also want folks to make sure that if they have pain when shoveling or dealing with the snow in some way, they should stop to avoid hurting themselves even more.

Before You Leave, Check This Out