GREENFIELD – Hancock County hunkered down with a wary eye on the furnace today as a startlingly cold polar vortex swooped over the central part of the country, bringing below-zero temperatures and wind chills that promise to get worse as the day wears on.
At 10:45 a.m., the temperature was minus-9 with a wind chill of minus-23, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s how serious this weather is: The postal service, whose motto boasts that “neither snow nor rain” will stand in the way of delivery, canceled mail delivery for today, according to multiple media outlets early this morning.
The Department of Homeland Security issued an Orange alert travel advisory late Tuesday, which means only essential travel is recommended. If you have to go out today, call ahead to make sure your destination will be open.
A power outage was reported in the Keystone subdivision on the east end of Greenfield at about 6 a.m. this morning, but power restored, according to posts from the Hancock County 911 Center.
No other power outages have been reported by area utilities.
School officials and others took stock of the impending deep freeze throughout the day on Tuesday and decided call off classes for today. All four school districts, St. Michael Catholic School, Zion Lutheran School and Geist Montessori Academy have canceled classes for today. E-learning will be in effect.
Most extra-curricular activities were canceled.
The Hancock County Public Library and the Fortville-Vernon Township Library are closed.
City and county government officials decided late Tuesday afternoon that city and county offices would be closed today as well. Later Tuesday evening, the Social Security Administration announced its offices would be closed.
CGS services will suspend trash pickup on both Wednesday and Thursday, the company said earlier on Tuesday. People on those routes will be served next week. Regular pickup will resume on Friday.
The Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen is closed.
