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Salt Shortage In Nanticoke

NANTICOKE — A lot of people listened to warnings and stayed off the roads, but folks who did get behind the wheel in Nanticoke encountered some very slic...
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NANTICOKE -- A lot of people listened to warnings and stayed off the roads, but folks who did get behind the wheel in Nanticoke encountered some very slick conditions.

The city's salt supply is low and there's no delivery in sight.

As the snowflakes fell and some workers closed up shop early for the day, others were busy trying to stay ahead of the storm.

Jerry Mitchell shoveled out his 94-year-old neighbor and said there's little room left on his block for new snow banks.

“Where are they going to put it? I was hoping they would take this one out of here because she has trouble backing in. They didn’t take it out so I just keep piling it up.”

A block away, crews used a snowthrower to clear the sidewalks outside the Nanticoke fire department.

This storm is the first big challenge for Mayor Richard Wiaterowski who was sworn into office last month. His priority isn't the growing snowbanks.  It’s Nanticoke's dwindling salt supply.

“We’re trying not to lay anything down right now. We’re just going to do some plowing and lay it down on the hills and intersections tomorrow morning, possibly,” the mayor said.

Nanticoke’s new supply shed is far from filled. There is only 10 tons of rock salt left, and about 20 tons of other materials used to mix everything together, so drivers can gain traction.

We found tires spinning and cars sliding up and down Kosciuszko Street. Some people left their cars behind and walked through the storm to get around.

Others, like Heather Pliska say they had no choice but to go to work and the drive home was a slippery one.

“I just put my foot on the gas pedal and I got scared, yeah, but what are you going to do?”

If the salt and supplies are used sparingly, Nanticoke's mayor hopes to get through this storm. So far there is no word on when or where a delivery of salt might come from.

The mayor is asking people to stay off these roads if they can.

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