City Manager: Storm recovery ongoing, after-action report coming in March
Parajon calls January ice storm 'equivalent of a natural disaster'; 9,000 tons of ice hauled
City Manager James Parajon told City Council on Tuesday that Alexandria’s recovery from the January ice storm remains ongoing — and that a formal after-action review will come to council in March with policy recommendations.
“We are not complete with our recovery,” Parajon said during his City Manager Update during City Council’s Legislative Meeting. “We are not at the end of it, and we’re not at the beginning of it. We’re making great progress.”
Parajon called the storm “the equivalent of a natural disaster,” saying conditions have not been seen since the mid-1990s.
“It wasn’t the snow itself — it was the snow and then the several hours of freezing rain and sleet after approximately the 7 inches of snow that really created a solid block of ice,” he said. “In a traditional snow event, we’re not hauling snow out of the area. We’re not having to use backloaders and specialized equipment like skid steers.”
By the numbers
The city has now hauled more than 9,000 tons of ice, filling six dump sites and requiring more than 1,000 dump truck loads. In the first days after the storm, Parajon reported 300 dump truck loads removed from Old Town and Del Ray alone.
More than 500 city staff across 11 departments worked the event, along with eight private contractors and more than 200 contracted workers. Crews have worked 12-hour shifts around the clock since the storm hit Jan. 24.
The city has received more than 800 requests through 311 related to snow. About 60% have been resolved, with 15% — more than 100 requests — still open and under review.
Code enforcement has issued 110 warnings and three citations, primarily to commercial properties that have not cleared sidewalks.
Work still ahead
Parajon said crews will continue focusing on widening lanes, clearing intersections for pedestrian visibility, and opening curb ramps on residential streets. Hard and soft trails and blocked sidewalks remain priorities.
The city is also clearing drainage inlets — breaking ice manually — to prevent flooding if temperatures rise and rain follows.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins asked about preparations for Saturday’s George Washington Birthday Parade, noting that sidewalks along the Old Town route remain snow-covered.
Deputy City Manager Emily Baker said the city is monitoring conditions and will deploy resources as needed, though she could not guarantee every sidewalk would be cleared. The city may direct spectators to specific cleared areas along the parade route.
Gaskins also raised concerns about apartment complexes — particularly on the West End — where parking lots and internal sidewalks have not been cleared.
“57% of our community are renters,” Gaskins said. “If there’s anything we can put out — a statement of rights or who they can contact — I’d love to be able to empower people.”
Baker said the city’s Landlord Tenant Division can work with residents and reach out to property management companies. Councilman Canek Aguirre specifically flagged conditions at Fox Chase.
Lessons learned
Parajon outlined several preliminary findings that will be developed further in the March after-action report:
Snow map accuracy — The city’s online SnowReport tracker struggled in the first days of the response, in part because contractors unfamiliar with Alexandria street names made coordination difficult. “We ended up having to do what’s called scout clearing and removal activities to validate that reporting,” Parajon said. “There are probably better ways for us to approach that.”
Communication on preparations — Parajon said the city could do more to encourage residents to move cars from street parking and use driveways and garages before a storm.
Contractor coordination — With eight or nine contractors instead of the typical two or three, “that does require a different level of coordination,” he said.
Public communication — Clearer messaging on priorities and timelines for which areas would be addressed first.
Gaskins said she and Parajon have discussed formalizing the after-action process, with a report to council in March that could include ordinance changes.
“Some of those policies, in working with the city attorney’s office, might require a specific ordinance or review change,” Gaskins said. “So really kind of formalizing the process of how we move forward with the lessons learned.”
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments also reviewed the regional response Wednesday, with officials discussing uniform standards for clearing bus stops and coordinating contractors across jurisdictions.
Recognition
Parajon praised city workers and contractors who have worked around the clock since Jan. 24.
“These are significant people who have worked 24 hours a day, 12-hour shifts, away from their families and friends, working day and night in conditions that most of us would dread,” he said. “I think they’re deserving of our recognition.”