Mayor Stutsman and City staff put together the following message for our community as we prepare for a winter storm:

To the Community of Goshen,

Please be prepared for a heavy snow event. We need all the help we can get to reach out to those who may need help. If you are aware of anyone who is without shelter we can connect and help get them to a safe place anytime of the day—call the Police Department at 533-4151 for a check-in or to help with transportation to a warm shelter. If you have elderly neighbors please be sure to check in on them from time to time to see if they need any help.

If you have children please do not let them play in the snow piles left by the Street Department crews, we never know when they will return to push the snow further or start on removal.

The City crews are committed to working as quickly as possible to keep our community safe and functioning. I am proud of the employees we have to help get us through times like these. Just remember it is a big job to clear snow for an entire community and patience will be needed. If you need anything don’t hesitate to call the City of Goshen at 574-533-8621. If you have an emergency call 911.

Thank you all for working to make Goshen a better place,

Mayor Jeremy Stutsman

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Things that will help the Street Department:

1. Whenever possible do not park on the road. This will allow the Street Department to more fully clear the streets and parking areas. This will also help ensure your car is not blocked in with a berm of snow.
2. When shoveling or snow blowing your driveway and sidewalks. Please do not throw the snow into the street.
3. During a long snow event like this is forecasted to be, it will take our entire Street Department Crew several passes to clear our streets. Please be courteous and give extra room to our plow drivers as visibility can be low during a snow storm.
4. The Street Department will focus first on the Main Arterial Roads, while attempting to open secondary roads (neighborhoods), alleys are after roads are open and parking areas (mainly downtown) are last to be plowed. If you cannot get out because your road hasn’t been plowed and you or someone in your household has an emergency, call 911. The appropriate Public Safety and plows will be dispatched.
5. Please do not allow kids to play in the piles of snow left by the street department. We never know when a plow will be back to further push the snow or loaders will arrive to remove the snow. Please share this information with neighbors if you see others playing in these piles.

This is the latest timeline of what to expect from the National Weather Service:

• Tuesday February 1, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.: expect to see rain which will turn to ice and then snow.
• Wednesday February 2, 12 a.m. to Thursday February 3, 12 a.m.: 1st round of snow with up to 14” heavy wet snow fall forecasted.
• Thursday February 3, 12 a.m.: Increased winds of 25 mph to 35 mph, with an additional 1 or 2″ snow, drifting, whiteout conditions, and below zero wind chills.

If this event happens as forecasted it may take our entire Street Department, Parks Department and some utility crews 2 days to get everything opened and cleared. Final clean up would be expected to happen on Friday, February 4. Piles of snow would not be removed until starting of the following week.

Please make sure to clear your sidewalks, (consider helping your neighbors if necessary), so that our youth who walk to school do not have to walk in the street. The City will be handling safe routes to school and other identified paths.

If you live near a fire hydrant, please help the Fire Department out by clearing the snow from around the hydrant. We will post updates tonight and tomorrow as needed. Please continue checking our page at facebook.com/CityOfGoshen or our website at www.goshenindiana.org for the latest.