No one knows more about the dangers of the recent ice and snow on the roadways and on the pipes in our homes and businesses than those who have been affected by them.

Vehicle accidents and burst water mains have been a reality as snow has blanketed the ground and temperatures have dipped into the single digits.

As the weather begins to warm, I want to offer thanks and well wishes to those who have helped those around them during these difficult few weeks.

Thanks first goes to road crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), who have worked to place treatments, salts and sands on main and back roads to clear stubborn stretches of snow and ice.

In a Jan. 10 Gazette article, VDOT spokesperson Paula Jones said crews have been hard at work on the roads.

“Crews have been out,” Jones said. “They did apply pretreatment on major roadways over the last several days and main areas starting over the weekend. They have been applying abrasives and salt and sand as appropriate in trouble areas. So if things have been reported, we have been addressing them, and we have been monitoring conditions.”

Thanks goes as well to first responders who have offered assistance to those affected and injured by vehicle accidents as a result of the weather.

Sometimes back roads take more time to clear than others. For this reason, I’m grateful to representatives at Charlotte County Public Schools for closing schools during the worst of the weather and for encouraging families to stay home.

Burst pipes are unfortunately a common and worrying concern, particularly for homes and businesses. I’m grateful to the work of crew members in Charlotte County and in the Towns of Keysville, Charlotte Court House and Drakes Branch for making sure their neighbors receive all of the help that they can for these incidents.

Emily Hollingsworth is a staff reporter for The Charlotte Gazette and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@ TheCharlotteGazette.com.