Officials released the report on Virginia’s response to the January snowstorm that led to a major backup on I-95.
For over 36 hours, hundreds of travelers were trapped on icy roads — many without food and water in the frigid temperatures — during the snowstorm from Jan. 3 into Jan. 4.
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The external review of the incident looked into Virginia’s heavily criticized response.
It revealed that the Commonwealth’s response showed departments were ill-prepared by the severity and magnitude of the storm.
Prior to the snowstorm that hit Virginia, the report says executive action was not taken to prepare for the severe weather event.
Findings show that former Gov. Ralph Northam and his senior staff, who was still in office at this time, failed to recognize the storm’s effects until Jan. 5.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Virginia State Police (VSP) were the primary managers of the incident response with little involvement from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), according to the report.
The report says that VDOT and VSP attempted to mitigate the severity of the storm but suffered due to a lack of previously deployed equipment and insufficient warnings to the public through any announcements or signage on the road.
It showed that the agencies used a variety of communication methods before and after the storm; however, findings say that messaging lacked specific instructions at times.
Examples include social media posts VSP and VDOT had during this time.
- VSP posted a Facebook post at 12:26 p.m. on Jan. 3, saying “The snow is collecting too fast for even #VSP troopers to keep their vehicles clear as they respond to hundreds of crashes & stuck vehicles! #VSP troopers are up to 559 traffic crashed & 522 disabled/stuck vehicles across #virginia since 12:01 AM today (1/3/22). Please continue to delay your travel…for your safety & the safety of first responders & Virginia Department of Transportation crews.”
- VDOT tweeted a warning about I-95 in the Fredericksburg area at 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 3, saying the department has crews scattered throughout the highway to tow, plow travel lanes and treat the roads.
The next day, on Jan. 4 at 9:14 a.m., VDEM issued a wireless emergency alert for drivers stuck on I-95, saying “I-95 Drivers: State and locals coming ASAP with supplies and to move you.”
The report shows that VDOT fielded over 20,000 calls over the course of Jan. 3 and Jan. 4, which was a five-fold increase from the prior week.
According to the report, the last trapped motorist was evacuated at about 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 and the highway reopened later that same day at about 7:40 p.m.
Officials say Virginia never declared a state of emergency or attempted to activate the National Guard to provide relief to the stranded drivers along I-95.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who was governor-elect at the time of the storm, issued a statement about the report, saying:
“This report demonstrates as the storm changed in intensity and left Virginians and travelers stranded on I-95, the previous administration’s leadership did not properly prepare or communicate. Since assuming office on January 15th, our administration has worked very closely with Virginia State Police, our Virginia National Guard, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the Virginia Department of Transportation responding quickly and adequately to each incoming weather related event and I’ve been incredibly pleased with our execution. We have weathered three big snowstorms successfully. Our focus is on preparation, communication and execution. Virginians can trust that we are working to keep them safe.”
To read the full report, click here.