Snow Troubles… In Virginia?

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Drivers wait for the traffic to be cleared in Carmel Church, Virginia

People traveling on I-95 after the snowstorm on the 4th of January got stuck in miles of backed up traffic. Some stuck between 2 to 24 hours in the standstill traffic jam in Northern Virginia. 

January 3rd Northern Virginia received about 12 inches of snow. This snow build up overwhelmed snow removal crews which resulted in major traffic jams that went on for miles. Many people traveling in this area at the time were stuck in 30-degree weather for 18 to 20 hours, others only got stuck for 2.  

Casey, a truck driver who delivers for UniFirst, was on his way to one of the businesses UniFirst supplies mats, towels, and uniforms to when he got stuck on Interstate 95. He says the main reason some people ended up getting stuck for over 20 hours was “There was a lot of snow and ice so with the accumulated accidents it got pretty bad. I got lucky, I only got stuck for around 2 hours, but most weren’t.”  

When asked how people around him reacted he said, “Most of them stayed in their cars, which is understandable especially if you don’t want the cold to get in, but a few went around passing out food and snacks if they had them. There honestly isn’t much we could have done because we only had what we had in our vehicles you know?” 

Though snowstorms are uncommon here in Virginia, it seems this year is definitely in store for more. It’s essential that we learn how to better take control of these situations so we can prevent events like this from happening again.