DATE: NOVEMBER 23, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE:
Council Update: After-Action Report - 2016 Snow Emergencies, 2016-2017 Winter Implementation Plan.
BODY
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ISSUE: Preparation for snow emergencies.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive this report.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this memo is to provide City Council with an update on the City's after-action activities since the snow emergencies of January 2016 and to inform Council of action items that City departments have taken in preparation for the 2016 -17 winter weather season.
The 2015 -16 winter season included an historic snowstorm that brought Alexandria 22 inches of snow in 31 hours. The January 22-23 blizzard (Winter Storm Jonas) was classified by the National Weather Service (NWS) as a Category 4 - Crippling Storm and it was the area's largest single storm since 2003. Overall, it was the third largest snow event on record. A smaller storm clipper on January 20 also caused challenging road conditions across the region.
These weather emergencies, combined with several smaller-scale events, placed extreme stress on the City's resources, which are typically sufficient for an average annual snow accumulation of about 15 inches and spread out over several events ranging from 4 to 8 inches. In an effort to continually improve the City's response to snow and other major weather-related emergencies, staff performed an after-action review of snow emergency policies and procedures to determine how to retain good practices and improve others. In addition to this review process, the Alexandria Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management (OEM) conducted a thorough after-action study of the City's response to Winter Storm Jonas. A detailed response timeline was prepared and 13 City agencies and organizations were interviewed.
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