Prince George’s County residents face frustration as snow and ice cleanup remains, leaving some neighborhoods untouched.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Nearly a week after a snow and ice storm hit Prince George’s County, cleanup efforts are still uneven, with some neighborhoods cleared and others reporting they have yet to see a snowplow.
County leaders say crews have made progress on major roads and in some residential areas, but thick ice and the volume of requests have slowed operations. In Upper Marlboro, residents said neighborhood streets remained untouched days after the storm.
“We’re seeing progress in some areas — but other roads, not so much,” said Prince George’s County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha as crews continued work Saturday.
Throughout the day, county crews shoveled driveways, cleared cars and worked on smaller residential streets. State and county officials were also out checking on residents, particularly seniors and those with medical needs.
Much of the effort is tied to the county’s Silver Shovel program, which provides snow removal assistance to residents 70 and older. Officials said the initial request list included about 4,000 households, prompting the county to temporarily pause new requests.
“They’re doing as many as possible because we know there are a lot in need,” Oriadha said.
Maryland Delegate Tiffany Alston said crews have prioritized vulnerable residents who rely on caregivers.
“We’ve been able to help 90-year-olds dig out so that their providers can get to them,” Alston said. “They may not be going out, but what about the people that have to come in and provide medical care to them?”
Some residents said the program is now working but got off to a rocky start.
“It’s working very well right now, but it was a rough start,” said Vanessa Dixon, a longtime Capitol Heights resident. She said many of her neighbors struggled to sign up because they are not comfortable with technology.
County officials acknowledged that not all residents who needed help were initially on the list.
“There were some that weren’t on the list but were on the street with the equipment, trying to help as many people as possible,” Oriadha said.
Cleanup has also been complicated by ice, which officials say has damaged equipment and slowed progress.
“This is not a traditional snowstorm but an ice storm,” Oriadha said. “There’s a lot of learning. Bobcats have been broken while people are out here working.”
Other residents said they are still waiting for help.
“I’m not happy with the county at all,” said Gasimu Umaru, who lives in Upper Marlboro. He said no plows or salt trucks have come down his street since the storm.
“We’ve been stuck in the house since the snow,” Umaru said. “We have not been able to go to the main road.”
Umaru said he called the county’s 311 service repeatedly, spending hours on hold, and was told that some services do not operate on weekends. He said he has had to order water and other essentials to his home.
“I know they’re busy, I know they have a lot to do,” Umaru said. “But just consider — no matter what — there are certain areas, just come by once.”
County leaders said they understand residents’ frustration and that full cleanup will take time.
“We might hit 50 or 60 percent capacity of being done,” Oriadha said. “There’s a reality that there are people who haven’t been hit yet, and they’re waiting for 100 percent so they can get out of their homes.”
Crews are expected to continue working into the night as cleanup efforts continue across the county.