January 25, 2016
ARLINGTON, VA. — The massive storm that began its unrelenting march across the East three days ago continued to hamstring the region Monday as most schools and government offices remained closed, transportation spotty and secondary roads socked in with still-unplowed snow.
January 25, 2016
ARLINGTON, VA. — The massive storm that began its unrelenting march across the East three days ago continued to hamstring the region Monday as most schools and government offices remained closed, transportation spotty and secondary roads socked in with still-unplowed snow.
People try to navigate a snowbank in the middle of Park Avenue on January 25 as New Yorkers return to work after the city was hit with a record-setting snowfall.
Airports struggled to recover, with almost 1,500 Monday flights canceled as of 9:30 p.m. ET, according to the FlightAware tracking website. The five-day cancellation tally was close to 13,000, causing a ripple effect across much of the nation and even around the world.
The dig-out was churning full speed across the region. Baltimore, which set a record with almost 30 inches of snow, had some subway service and a few bus lines operating Monday. Schools and government offices were closed, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake pleaded for patience.
"Over 3K neighborhood streets to clear," Rawlings-Blake tweeted Monday. "It's a process — can't just plow — have to move snow to alternate locations.
In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio lauded the efforts of city workers for their efforts in clearing streets, but drew an outcry from many Queens residents who posted complaints and photos of unplowed roads on social media.
The city's schools opened Monday, but not everyone could get there. The city's public advocate, Letitia James, criticized de Blasio' decision to open them, saying they should have remained closed "for the safety of students and educators."
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser was out among 2,000 volunteer snow shovelers Sunday, working to dig out neighbors. Federal offices were closed Monday. Schools were also closed, although 10 buildings were open to serve breakfast and lunch to students. Much work remained to plow neighborhood streets and make the transit system fully operational.
"We are going to get to every street," Bowser assured residents Monday. "We are working through our methodical process … to get to everybody in the most efficient way possible."
Suburbs also struggled. In Arlington, Va., main roads were plowed Monday but most neighborhoods remained untouched. The county of 225,000 said on it website it would take until Tuesday night to reach all streets. The county already had canceled school through Tuesday.
Across the region, airlines were scrambling to get their flights back on track after the blizzard dumped ice and snow on airports from the Carolinas to New England before rolling off the coast and into the Atlantic.
The storm is also blamed for at least 30 deaths, according to the Associated Press.
In Greenville, S.C., an elderly couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside their home, The Greenville News reported. The couple had lost power during the storm and a family member had helped them set up a generator inside their garage, officials said. Somehow a door propped open to vent the deadly gas became closed, and carbon monoxide filled the house.
A number of people, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer in Delaware, died of heart attacks after shoveling snow.
Courtesy: USA Today
