As snow and winds hammered away at the national capital region Wednesday, police and fire officials answered a minimal number of calls but were preparing for the worst.
They urged residents to stay indoors.
“With the blizzard, the only thing we’re pushing is stay home, don’t do anything stupid, hunker down and deal with the mess after it passes,” said Montgomery County assistant fire chief Scott Graham.
D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier said she was pleased to see that most residents stayed out of the storm. She was most concerned about pedestrians getting struck by emergency crews and snow plows because the visibility is so low.
“If you really, really need to go out, waiting until it’s over,” Lanier said. “There is an end to this.”
D.C. fire rescue officials said they were ready with 150 extra firefighters and paramedics and dozens of reserve ambulances and fire trucks. Since Friday, rescue units responded to 2,500 calls, about 40 percent more than usual, most of those being weather-related. Rescue crews used four-wheel SUVs — normally used for checking fire hydrants — to reach tricky areas, said D.C. fire spokesman Pete Piringer.
Maryland’s state highway officials saw cars spin out of control and motorists leaving their cars on the highways.
“You are taking your life into your own hands and jeopardizing others’ lives if you choose to go out,” Maryland State Highway Administrator Neil J. Pedersen.
The snow wasn’t enough to stop a homicide in Riverdale Tuesday night. Prince George’s County police responded to a report of gunshots around 9:05 p.m. in the 5400 of 55th Place. Officers found an unidentified Hispanic male on the snowy ground with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police were still trying to identify the man Wednesday and had no motive or suspects.
