Blizzard In Mid-Atlantic Region Has Blown Countless “Snow Budgets”

By James Fox on February 13, 2010, 9:05 am

The mid-Atlantic region, in the midst of record snowfall, has struggled to cover the costs of clearing all the snow. Cash-strapped states are now looking to the federal government to supplement their decimated snow budgets.

State Snow Budgets Depleted

Virginia quickly ran through its $79 million snow-removal budget and an additional $25 million from the emergency reserve. Maryland used up its $26 million snow budget after December storms. It has now spent more than double that amount. Delaware also ran through its snow budget back in December; it’s supplementing from other parts of the state budget. Washington DC quickly used up the $6.2 million it allocated for snow removal. DC estimates that a fully-deployed snow removal operation costs $110,000 per shift. New York estimates that every inch of snow has cost the city $1 million.

Federal Aid Requested

State and local governments are looking to the federal government to pick up part of the tab. The Obama administration agreed on Wednesday to allow affected areas to simultaneously apply for federal aid for the two latest storms – the first over the weekend and the second during mid-week. This would provide Maryland, Virginia, and DC with swifter reimbursement. The federal government would reportedly cover 75% of the costs to activate the National Guard units and keep state employees working around the clock to clear the snow.

 

Snow-Removal Boom

All the snow has meant big business for companies that remove it. Landscaping businesses have had to call back their seasonal workers to handle the demand for plowing driveways. Many bulk de-icing companies – those that provide salt – are sitting pretty; Virginia was looking for 30,000 tons of salt on Wednesday. Plow-owners, hardware stories, gas stations and even grocery stores have struggled to keep up with demand as people buy up staples and fill up gas tanks.

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