DC mayor apologizes for city’s snow response

by Jesse Byrnes - 01/21/16 11:41 AM ET

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser apologized Thursday morning for the city’s handling of a mild snowfall the previous night that snarled traffic.

“We should have been out earlier with more resources,” Bowser told reporters during a press conference, stressing that officials have been preparing for the weekend storm.

{mosads}In a tweet, Bowser expressed sorrow, saying “the District failed to deploy the necessary resources in response to the snow” on Thursday evening and “for that I am sorry.”

“We are sorry for an inadequate response,” Bowser told reporters at the news conference.

Residents reported major delays in their commute home as gridlock gripped many parts of the city Wednesday evening with about an inch of snow dropping on icy roads.

Officials have been preparing for a weekend storm expected to start Friday afternoon with up to 2 feet of snow and major wind but were caught off guard by the Wednesday snowfall.

Bowser has declared a state of emergency for D.C. on Thursday and a snow emergency on Friday, requiring residents to move their cars from snow routes to avoid tickets.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has also declared a state of emergency ahead of the weekend storm, with officials urging people to stay home.

Tags Muriel Bowser roads Snow Winter storm