SHANNONDALE, W.Va. — The roads in the Jefferson County community of Shannondale are “still in very bad shape,” according to Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty.
The hilly community east of the Shenandoah River was hit hard by Winter Storm Jonas last Friday and Saturday, deluged by more than 40 inches of snow. A week later the roads are still difficult to traverse.
“Much of that area is still a single lane that’s snow covered and it’s making very difficult time when we or fire and ambulances need to respond there,” Dougherty said Friday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
The state Division of Highways reported a dozen roads in Shannondale were going to be plowed and treated by Thursday night.
The hilly area, originally designed as a camp and later a country club, is now home to thousands of residents. The layout of the community isn’t ideal for travel even on fair-weather days, Dougherty said.
“The roads are narrow and they’re twisty and in good times they’re difficult to negotiate and in this kind of weather they’re even worse,” he said.
First responders have faced some challenging situations in recent days, Dougherty said.
“There have been several incidences—a couple of days ago the fire company had to go up there because a person had a heart problem. They were literally digging their way in and digging there way out,” he said.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin did lift the state of emergency issued in connection with Jonas for the final four counties Friday including Jefferson, Morgan, Berkeley and Preston.
“I’m proud of our state’s response to this winter storm, and I’d like to thank all first responders, the West Virginia National Guard, local and state road crews, volunteer organizations and all West Virginians who came together and lent a helping hand to help combat Winter Storm Jonas,” Gov. Tomblin said in a news release. “Although this was a historic storm in some locations, I’m pleased that we were able to respond to the threats of snow and ice in a timely and efficient manner. With this in mind, we are able to lift the statewide State of Emergency and while we continue to support ongoing isolated community response efforts in areas hardest hit by severe weather.”