The District and Virginia plan to seek federal assistance to pay off some of their costs from the record December snowstorm that dumped up to two feet around the region, officials said.
Maryland does not plan to seek the emergency cash, even though the state had surpassed its highway snow removal budget for the entire year even before Thursday’s additional ice and snow hit.
“There are no definitive plans to apply,” said Maryland Department of Transportation spokeswoman Erin Henson. “Not at this point.”
Transportation departments in all three jurisdictions had spent more than $41 million on the Dec. 18-19 storm, a significant share of their annual snow removal budgets though most of the winter still lies ahead.
The District Department of Transportation spent just over $4 million of its $6.2 million annual budget, while the Virginia Department of Transportation spent about $10 million of $27 million budgeted for Northern Virginia’s roads. A total from the entire state was still being tallied.
The Maryland State Highway Administration spent $20 million on the storm. But combined with an earlier snowfall, the agency had topped its $26 million snow removal budget even before Thursday. Other state agencies also spent nearly $7 million more on the massive snow removal.
The Maryland State Highway Administration spent $20 million on the storm. But combined with an earlier snowfall, the agency had topped its $26 million snow removal budget even before Thursday. Other state agencies also spent nearly $7 million more on the massive snow removal.
It’s not clear how much the additional ice and slush on New Year’s Eve added to the annual bills.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency funds could make a dent in the costs but will not solve the problem for the cash-strapped governments.
FEMA pays for 75 percent of expenses for 48 hours of historic storms, VDOT field services manager Perry Cogburn said. But the storm hit some parts of the region worse than others, and the preparations and cleanup lasted in some places for well over five days. Snow totals also need to be close to or above record levels so the damage of past storms is also relevant. Some counties could be eligible for federal money, while others won’t receive a cent.
Virginia officials were not sure how much money they could recoup, Cogburn said. The state had applied for past snowstorms, including those in 2003, 2000 and 1996, he said.
