A major storm that moved across the country during the past few days has left snow removal crews inundated with calls.
The National Weather Service reported that at least five people have died and thousands of drivers were stranded along the East Coast, when as much as 15.5 inches fell within a day. Hundreds of thousands of people were without power and thousands of commercial airline flights were grounded.
Many governors declared states of emergency and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the storm was the worst the state had seen in four years, according to NBC News.
This AccuWeather map shows where the worst of the storm hit on Jan. 3, 2022.AccuWeather
Vehicle traffic along Interstate 95 south of Washington, D.C. was stalled for more than 19 hours, according to the Wall Street Journal. By late Tuesday morning, many roads along the East Coast were being cleared, but hundreds of road closures and dangerous conditions remained, Reuters reported.
The Southeast also experienced severe thunderstorms and thunder snow.
Snow Removal Crews in High Demand
Poor road conditions endangered snow removal crews, as well. In Maryland, three people were killed and one person was taken to the hospital after a SUV collided with a snowplow on Monday. Across much of the country, non-commercial drivers are asked to stay off the roads, especially as temperatures fall to below freezing, making many roads, bridges and highway ramps icy.
Snow removal crews from Minnesota to Virginia were out in force Monday and Tuesday, news outlets across the country are reporting. In Maryland alone, more than 2,100 snow plows and related equipment have been deployed to clear roads.
The Maryland Department of Transportation's 511 map on Tuesday, Jan. 4.Maryland Department of Transportation
The storm was not completely unexpected and snow removal companies such as Southern Sun Landscaping had prepared for it. The company had set aside 150 bags of salt for Monday's storm. Andrew Grider, president of Southern Sun, says his company was booked with requests to remove snow. The company was asking residents to salt their driveways before plows arrived to make snow and ice removal go faster.
Meanwhile, Done Brothers in Bettendorf, Iowa, was planning on dispatching four or five crews to 65 properties to clear snow. The process usually takes eight to 12 hours, he says. About 4.5 inches fell in the area on Jan. 1.
A Michigan-based startup company created a mobile app for ordering snow removal services, calling it the Uber of snow removal. Quikplow allows residents to order snow removal service with a smartphone. The app is available in Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey and New York.
