From Reuters:
“Drivers trapped in cars after
U.S. snowstorm shuts major road in Virginia”
(Local residents walk along an
empty street during a snowstorm in Washington, U.S., January 3, 2022)
Drivers in Virginia were stranded
in their vehicles overnight as authorities worked to reopen an icy stretch of
Interstate 95 closed after a storm blanketed the U.S. region in snow a day
earlier, officials said on Tuesday. I-95, a major north-south thoroughfare, was
shut down in both directions near Fredricksburg, about 55 miles (89 km) south
of Washington, the Virginia Department of Transportation said. "Our crews
are actively working to get everyone off 95. Plans are underway to guide
vehicles currently stopped on the interstate to nearby interchanges, where they
can access alternate routes," the agency wrote said in a Twitter message.
The standstill began on Monday as
more than a foot (30 cm) of snow fell in parts of the U.S. Southeast and
mid-Atlantic regions, causing multiple crashes and spin-outs, local media
reported. The highway paralysis continued as temperatures dropped below
freezing overnight. State and local emergency personnel worked through the
night to clear downed trees, assist disabled vehicles and reroute drivers,
Governor Ralph Northam said on Tuesday. "While sunlight is expected to
help @VaDOT clear the road, all Virginians should continue to avoid 1-95,"
he tweeted.
Social media was flooded with
posts from desperate drivers trapped for hours in their cars in freezing
weather. "We have been stuck here for 10+ hours we have dogs and have to
go to the bathroom plus we need gas. No hotels around are open," one
driver tweeted. Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia was among those
stranded, spending the night on his way to Washington but getting nowhere. "I
started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m
still not near the Capitol," the 2016 Democratic vice presidential
candidate tweeted on Tuesday morning, including a photo from his car gridlocked
between trucks. "My office is in touch with @VaDOT to see how we can help
other Virginians in this situation. Please stay safe everyone." The fast-moving
storm forced the closure of federal offices and schools, grounded airplanes and
knocked out electrical power for thousands of residents.
^ I used to live in that area and
this doesn’t surprise me in the least. They could get ½ an inch of snow and
everything would be closed before the first flake fell so when they get a foot
of snow this will happen. The Drivers down there aren’t good when it is perfect
weather much less when there’s a snow storm. ^
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