Debriefing on Storm Response

Winter storm Jonas was certainly one for the record books! With up to 38 inches of snow and gusty winds, we were extremely fortunate that our residents remained safe and that we had no significant power outages. I appreciate the patience and teamwork that our residents showed throughout this historic storm. Community members checked on elderly neighbors, helped stranded motorists, and pitched in to clear neighborhood sidewalks. (We will start taking Golden Shovel Award nominations in March, so stay tuned.)      

For those who have concerns with the responsiveness of the County’s Division of Highway Services, the data provided on the snow map and the MC311 call system, all of these issues and more will be reviewed by the County Council on February 9 at 11:00 a.m. I have requested that Executive staff from all departments involved in storm operations participate in a debriefing with the Council, so we can better understand the decisions made by the department heads and staff who are responsible for these activities. While many aspects of the recovery efforts worked well, some issues need to be addressed. There is always room for improvement. You can watch this meeting live or on demand on County Cable Montgomery.

I want to express my deep appreciation to the men and women who have worked so hard throughout the storm and cleanup to get us back on track. Many Department of Transportation, Emergency Management, Health and Human Services, and MC311 employees, as well as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and many other professionals have worked excruciatingly long shifts with virtually no time off. These are truly the unsung heroes of this historic storm.