I-95 Snowstorm Standstill: State Agency Mistakes Outlined In Report

VIRGINIA — Virginia transportation officials failed to implement lessons learned from previous storms before a snowstorm in early January 2022 caused a complete shutdown of Interstate 95 that trapped drivers for 20 hours or more in some cases, according to a report released this week by the state inspector general.

In the report, State Inspector General Michael Westfall notes that state officials did not learn from a similar storm that shut down I-81 in Bristol in December 2018.

Westfall also said the Virginia Department of Transportation was ineffective in communicating with drivers as conditions worsened and failed to establish a snow-specific emergency plan.

On Jan. 3, 2022, a storm dumped several inches of snow on northern and central Virginia. When the sun set, the slush turned into an ice pack that froze vehicles in their tracks. Both directions of I-95 came to a complete standstill for 50 miles from Caroline County to Dumfries in Prince William County for about 20 hours.

Read more: I-95 Shutdown: All Drivers Escape Road After 20+ Hours

"This storm came at a time when many new snow-removal contractors and employees were coming on board with the Virginia Department of Transportation and had not undergone the typical training provided prior to COVID-19,” Westfall said in a news release on Monday. "When the storm intensified and traffic slowed due to disabled vehicles, including jackknifed tractor trailers, the resulting traffic backed up significantly and impacted VDOT’s ability to clear the roadway as plows could not remove the accumulating snow.”

Drivers, including Sen. Tim Kaine, rationed their gasoline and shared snacks and water as vehicles sat parked on icy traffic lanes.

Marvin Romero of New York drove to Florida to spend time with family for the holidays, and wound up stuck overnight on I-95 with his 8 and 10-year-old daughters.

"I knew a storm was coming," Romero said. "But I didn't think any of the states were this poorly prepared."

Westfall's audit noted that VDOT's efforts to communicate to the public during the storm were ineffective.

"Either the public received messages to avoid the area and ignored them or they did not receive the messages,” Westfall said.

The report also noted issues with communication between agencies, acquiring resources, and prioritizing stranded drivers.

According to the inspector general's report, VDOT's Fredericksburg officials asked for help from nearby districts when snow began to fall on Jan. 3. The Fredericksburg office said it lacked the necessary snow removal resources. However, VDOT's central office had no record of the request.

The report also noted that agencies did not prioritize helping stranded drivers during their response. Instead, VDOT and Virginia State Police focused their efforts on reopening the highway.

At the time, people stranded on I-95 said drivers were sharing food and water with each other while they were stuck.

In a news release, Westfall said that police, transportation, and emergency management officials agreed with the finding in the inspector general's report.

The full report from the inspector general's office is available online.