VDOT Completes Removal of January Winter Storm Debris
By: Orange County Communications Department
Old man winter has long moved on, but the remnants of the January 3, 2022, winter storm have lingered in Virginia as a testament to the power of nature. The significant amounts of heavy, wet snow left thousands without power for several days, and led to the first real activation of the Orange County Emergency Operations Center. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) was responsible for much of the cleanup effort that followed. Crews and contractors were busy for months clearing debris from our roads, often working seven (7) days a week. Work on I - 64 was completed mid - April, and a release from the Culpeper District VDOT Office at that time indicated that over 45,000 cubic yards had been
Crews clean up debris from I - 64. Photograph Courtesy of VDOT Culpeper District Office
removed from Orange County alone. Last month, the office published an update that all debris had been cleared in the Richmond and Culpeper districts, totaling a mind - boggling 2,047,522 cubic yards of detritus. For perspective, a cubic yard is slightly less than the amount which can be hauled in a six - foot pickup truck bed. The trucks being used by crews to clear debris were able to carry approximately 45 cubic yards per load; even so, 44,368 loads were required to complete the monumental task. Longtime residents may remember the derecho which struck our area in the summer of 2012. That damaging storm also caused damage that left thousands without power. However, the 120,000 cubic yards of debris left behind ten (10) years ago pales in comparison to the impact of the January 2022 winter event. For more information about VDOT ’ s cleanup efforts or other road projects, Orange County residents can call the Louisa Residency Office at (540) 967 - 3710 or the Culpeper District Office at (540) 829 - 7500.
Page 19 | July, 2022
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter