As ice lingers in Richmond, Avula asks residents for a few more days of patience
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said Saturday that officials are doing what they can to clear streets that are still frozen from the winter storm that hit a week ago.
The city’s options are somewhat limited, Avula said, by the unusually low temperatures that have left thick layers of ice intact on some roads and hampered the effectiveness of the salt used to treat the roads.
“ I want to assure everybody that our folks have been working around the clock. We are doing everything we can,” Avula said.
Though major snow is no longer in the forecast for Richmond this weekend, Avula said it’s not going to get much warmer until Monday or Tuesday.
“I think we'll see a lot of clearing that can happen at that point. But we still have a few days to get through,” said the mayor.
On Sunday's Richmond Public Schools announced that it will not hold Monday classes in-person.
"Dozens of RPS staff, contractors, and the City of Richmond spent the weekend working hard to clear our schools and parking lots, but the continued low temperatures remain an incredible challenge," a statement read.
Officials in Richmond and beyond have been facing mounting frustration from residents upset that hazardous conditions could persist for so long. At Saturday’s press conference at a city facility in South Richmond, officials addressed that dynamic head-on.
“People are at the end of their rope. It’s been a long week. People have been stuck and they’re frustrated about getting out of their houses and getting back to normal life,” Avula said. “We will get there.”
After declaring a state of emergency on Jan. 23, Avula was in D.C. for a few days this week for the United States Conference of Mayors winter meeting, according to city officials. He was involved in the storm response remotely and returned to Richmond on Friday.
Avula encouraged Richmond residents who can leave their houses to visit small businesses and restaurants that may be taking a financial hit.
During the emergency, Richmond has seen a total of 4,000 calls for service, 224 crashes and 70 disabled vehicles, according to Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. For city workers, Donald said Saturday, “all hands are on deck.”
The city has seen one weather-related death after a man was found lying in the cold at the Northside’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center.
Officials have stressed they’ve boosted sheltering and warming center resources available to the homeless. Amy Popovich, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for human services, said Saturday have not had issues with hitting capacity limits.
“We do have space for anyone who needs a warm place to be,” Popovich said.
Department of Public Works Director Bobby Vincent said city crews will continue to treat the roads and work on clearing more neighborhood streets.
Asked how much of the recovery effort depends on the weather getting warmer, Vincent said “a lot.”
“The temperature is just going to give us what we’re used to,” Vincent said. “Which is solid black asphalt from curb to curb.”
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org. This article has been updated to reflect that schools will not be held in-person on Monday.
