Snowed in Annapolis

The City of Annapolis asked residents not to drive. The ban on driving was lifted at 6:00 a.m. this morning, Monday February 8th, but that didn’t stop some foolhardy folks with nothing better to do with their four wheel drive vehicles than clog up our roadways. One of them get stuck on my street, right in the middle of the road of course, making the passage of a snow plow impossible, Finally neighbors and a hired shovel helped them to get dug out 16 hours later and then another car almost got stuck in the same place! With 87 miles of roadways to clear, there’s a lot more to be done before the next possible deluge of snow flakes–another five inches perhaps?
Last night, although the main highways were partially cleared, the on and off ramps were icey and full of snow. In downtown Annapolis many sidewalks are still heaped high with all that white stuff, making it a challenge for pedestrians to get anywhere without taking to the streets. It’s a real slip and slide.
It’s when I start thinking about how much money this is costing the city, county, and state, for all the clean-up, that I really start to worry. In Annapolis, we are already short approximately five million dollars, but with this snow clean-up, the deficit just increased in a big way. The landscapers, contractors, and anyone with a hardy constitution and a snow plow or shovel, however, has the opportunity to make some money as the rest of us struggle to dig out from under all that snow! Hopefully all those who do gain money from the snowstorms will put some of that money back into our local economy and it will help our hometown businesses including our restaurants and shops. Happy sledding!