CHIEF DEPUTY WARD CALHOUN GIVES TIPS TO BETTER PREPARE WHILE TRAVELING IN THIS COLD WEATHER.

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THE BLAST OF WINTER WEATHER IS MAKING HOLIDAY TRAVEL MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THIS YEAR… IF YOU MUST HEAD OUT, OUR DANNY TODD HAS SOME ADVICE FROM EXPERTS ON HOW TO STAY SAFE.

Traveling during the holidays can already be quite challenging. Add in extreme cold weather and possible precipitation and that could just be the recipe for disaster. Twin States New speaks with chief deputy Ward Calhoun of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department for advice to help our viewers better prepare for this upcoming challenge.

WARD CALHOUN, CHIEF DEPUTY says "As we move into this hard freeze warning, we're reminding individuals that are going to be out in our community, especially in cars. If you're planning on traveling, be thinking about, especially bridges. Looking at the latest forecast, hopefully, we will have some high winds after the rain we have this evening and before we get to freezing temperatures."

Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun hopes that black ice will not be a major threat. But he does stress that the risk is certainly there.

WARD CALHOUN says "With a hard freeze that we're going to be under for about 48 hours almost. That potential is going to go through a couple of days. So, you want to be mindful of making sure that if you do get on any ice, you don’t hard break. Remember, if you cross over a bridge, just get off of the accelerator and do not break this where your problem is going to be if you’re on any ice."

Calhoun added, To be prepared for any trip, you'll be taking these next few days. Sometimes people don't think to charge their cell phones after a certain time of the day or on short trips. But in this weather, he advises, it's a good idea to make sure your cell phone is fully charged.

WARD CALHOUN says "Especially if you're going to be traveling north, going out of our community over the next several days. You want to think about making sure you have something to eat in your car and water. I would suggest that you stop frequently and make sure that you have fuel in the event that you have a breakdown, or you end up in some type of incident on an interstate where you're sitting for a long period of time."

Calhoun also stressed the importance of communication. If you're heading somewhere, you should reach out to the people at your destination. Give them an estimated time of arrival as well as your route of travel. You'll be taking that way in the event of an emergency. They will have an idea if something has gone wrong and they will know where to look.

Danny Todd, Twin States News, Meridian