Atlanta winter ice storm: Mayor Dickens urges caution as city braces for 'dangerous ice event'

Atlanta mayor gives winter storm prep update

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens discusses what preparations the city is taking ahead of a dangerous ice storm set to impact the metro area this weekend.

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined FOX 5 Atlanta to provide a critical update on citywide preparations for an incoming winter storm, emphasizing that the "ice event" expected this weekend is far more dangerous than typical snowfall. The mayor urged residents to finalize their storm preparations early and stay off the roads starting Saturday afternoon as black ice becomes a major threat.

City operations and emergency infrastructure

Local perspective:

For the past 48 hours, Atlanta city government has been coordinating tabletop exercises and emergency calls to ensure all departments are ready for "Winter Storm Fern."

Key city measures include:

• Road & Sidewalk Safety: Brine and salt crews are prioritizing high-traffic routes and sidewalks.
• Critical Services: Fire and police vehicles have been prepared for emergency movement in icy conditions.
• Watershed Management: Teams are on standby to respond to frozen or bursting water pipes throughout the city.
• Recreation Centers: All weekend youth programming at city recreation centers has been canceled to keep families at home.

Hartsfield-Jackson prepared for delays

Dig deeper:

As the home of the world’s busiest airport, the City of Atlanta is monitoring Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport closely. Plans are in place to manage potential flight cancellations, ensuring that stranded travelers have access to food, facilities, and maintained bathrooms during the storm.

Protecting the vulnerable

Local perspective:

A major priority for the city is the safety of senior citizens and individuals experiencing homelessness. The city's warming centers offer more than just shelter; they provide:

• Meals and hygiene: Hot food and clean showers.
• Safety: Secure environments away from the freezing elements.
• Capacity: Three primary locations with a fourth designated for overflow.

A message to residents: Prep now

What they're saying:

Mayor Andre Dickens is urging residents to stay off the roads and prepare for a looming winter storm that is expected to bring dangerous ice to the metro area this weekend.

In an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta, Dickens emphasized that the city is prioritizing safety as temperatures drop. He warned that "black ice is difficult for you to detect" and that motorists could be "sliding right into danger."

"I wanted to make sure I came on, so people can hear it from me as well that we take these things seriously," Dickens said.

The mayor stated that city officials have spent the last several days coordinating through "table top exercises" to prepare for potential incidents. The city’s fleet of 21 salt spreaders and 22 brine trucks is ready to treat roads and sidewalks.

Beyond the streets, Dickens said the Department of Watershed Management is on standby for frozen or bursting pipes. He also confirmed that Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is preparing for potential delays or cancellations, ensuring that facilities and food services remain available for stranded travelers.

Focusing on all residents

A primary focus for the city is the safety of those most at risk during the freeze.

"Our most vulnerable people, our senior citizens and people experiencing homelessness. We are making sure that we are checking in on them as well as warming centers," Dickens said. "We have three open as fourth as an overflow that are prepared for our guest. Making sure they have food, they have safety they have showers and clean amenities to be taken care of during winter weather."

Dickens encouraged residents to finish their grocery shopping and preparations before the storm hits Saturday evening.

"We are making sure that the people are prepared to take care of themselves," he said. "They should be out there getting water at the grocery store, getting food, making sure you have candles, batteries are charged so if the power goes out you have a way to charge your devices."

With icy conditions expected to persist through Sunday morning, Dickens praised local pastors for moving worship services to a virtual format and encouraged other event organizers to postpone gatherings.

911 vs 311: What and when to call

Mayor Dickens advised residents to stock up on essentials—water, food, candles, and batteries—before the ice sets in. He also reminded the public of the difference between emergency services: call 911 for life-threatening emergencies and call 311 for non-emergency issues like fallen tree limbs.

"I know there are big events and worship services," the Mayor said, "but a lot of pastors are making the wise decision to go virtual. You might want to just park it and stay safe".

The FOX 5 Storm Team will provide updates on this winter event on-air, on fox5atlanta.com and on FOX LOCAL. Should you lose power, you can still stream the latest forecast on the FOX LOCAL mobile app.