Mayor Silberberg: Alexandria, Digging Out After the Blizzard

The following is a message from Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg Monday night:

Our roads are open, but we urge citizens to please stay off of the roads in order to let our snow plow units clear the streets efficiently.

Dear Friends,

I realize this is a trying time. This is still a time to stay safe.

Once again, a snow customer service number has been established. If you need help, please call 703-746-HELP (703-746-4357). If you have an emergency, please call 911.

PLOWING CONTINUES @ 24/7 PACE!

Please know that our snow plow crews are continuing to work 24/7 and are attacking the residential streets all over the city as fast as possible.

Residential streets are our main focus now. The crews will once again be working through the night.

First, we had to ensure that our snow emergency routes and primary streets were cleared. That is done, and most of the secondary streets are now passable for emergency equipment as well. As of last night, we had about 20% of the residential streets done. We will have an update on that percentage later tonight and then in the morning.

We have 80 snow plow crews working tirelessly, and more resources are on their way right now. Some of our plows are getting stuck as they plow the snow.

With 560 lane miles of roads and a blizzard, clearing the snow will take time. We ask for some patience as we dig out from this historic Level 3 storm.

If you would like information about specific streets, please see: http://apps.alexandriava.gov/SnowReport/ to get the latest updates.

A FEW THINGS WE CAN ALL DO TO BE OF HELP.

WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY
Late yesterday, I went around the city for the second day in a row and saw the progress being made with our snow plowing on the primary and secondary roads. I saw some residential streets that had been plowed, but I also saw many residential streets that had not been touched. We have been focused on residential streets all day.
There is a massive mound of snow that we have hauled from the streets of the city to the Victory Center parking lot. This is one of many mounds of snow we have been piling, as we plow and haul away the snow.
We continue to be lucky in terms of not having any power outages.
Yesterday late afternoon, I came upon one of our hardworking crews and stopped to thank them for clearing the sidewalk leading to the Van Dorn Metro Station. These fellows are amazing. They had literally used sheer strength to break through an ice block. My hat is off to them.

STICKING TOGETHER: CAMARADERIE AS WE DIG OUT!
I loved seeing so many of my neighbors out in force yesterday afternoon, clearing their cars and helping each other with the mounds of snow. There is a mountain of snow on my small plot of land in front of my place in Parkfairfax. There was so much camaraderie around Parkfairfax yesterday, and I saw the same scene happening all across our city, as folks helped each other out. Thank you, one and all!

I also loved seeing all the children sledding on the hill of the Masonic Temple. A classic Alexandria tradition!

WATCH FOR ICE & SNOW FALLING FROM THE ROOFTOP

I urge all of our citizens to be aware of snow and ice that are falling from the rooftops. It is treacherous.

STILL A TIME TO STAY SAFE!

When this storm was heading our way, I was focused on many things, but right at the top was getting through this without a fatality. Thus far, we have been blessed. Let us continue to focus on safety whether we are walking or driving or shoveling. If you are shoveling, please take breaks and pace yourself. This goes for our clearing crews as well! Please pace yourselves. The snow is heavy.

ICE MELTS EACH DAY & REFREEZES EACH NIGHT

Please be aware that everything is refreezing each evening.

NO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY.

- ACPS has announced that our schools will be closed on Tuesday.

- City government has yet to announce its status for Tuesday.

PLEASE CHECK ON YOUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS.

Please continue to check on your elderly neighbors.

My hat is off to Senior Services of Alexandria and their army of volunteers. This afternoon, they are delivering meals to our seniors. Thank you to Senior Services of Alexandria! Way to go!

REAL DEDICATION!

The roads are still treacherous. Our crews are doing an outstanding job, working around the clock to make our roads safe for us as fast as possible. Some have been working 24-hour shifts. When I asked one fellow on the team about his dedication, he said that the job had to be done. He was focused on getting things done for us.

My heartfelt thanks to all those who are driving those snow plows. They have true grit! I continue to be so proud of our dedicated snow plow crews, our sidewalk crews, and our entire staff to ensure our safety.

Huge thanks again to our City Manager, Mark Jinks, as well as Yon Lambert, the city’s Director of Transportation & Environmental Services, for leading the crews. My heartfelt thanks to each person on our snow clearing team and to all our staff and our first responders in law enforcement, the fire department, and EMS. Once again, we all pray that they will stay safe, too.

Information about city services can be found on the city’s site,www.alexandriava.gov . Please continue to check the site for any updates. You can also sign up for E-alerts through the city’s site.

Let’s continue to stay safe!

Allison Silberberg

Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia