Sunday Snowstorm Leaves Mark On Eastern Shore

DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--The early winter storm left parts of Maryland covered by heavy snowfall. On the Eastern Shore, the National Guard is on the job, helping people who are stranded.

Some places got more than a foot of snow.

Weijia Jiang takes us on a quick tour of the region.

It is the winds that are absolutely brutal, and they are making the cleanup efforts difficult for road crews.

The winter storm that battered the East Coast plowed right through Maryland's Eastern Shore, leaving nearly a foot of snow in some parts.

"It just keeps snowing on and on," said one resident.

"When the storm came, it snowed all day and all night," said Larry Sullivan, Easton driver.

At the Easton airport, piles of snow are growing. Through the night, state highway road crews are still operating under full deployment in Dorchester, Somerset  and Wicomico counties.  In Baltimore, people are trying to clear the way, too.

For crews, the biggest challenge is not the snow, it's the wind. There are countless fields of land all over the Eastern Shore, so blankets of snow and snow drifts are being blown right back into the roads.

"You can actually see it happening here, so that's what we're going to be fighting with all day today," said Charles Gischiar, Md. State Highway Association.

Authorities at the SHA Command Center monitor trouble areas 24 hours a day.

"Our crews are going around and opening up lanes and spreading salt," Gischiar said. "And now that the sun is coming out, the salt will become very, very effective, melting away what's on the roadway."

Even more help comes from the Maryland National Guard, which staffed two armories on the shore for the governor's statewide Declaration of Emergency. The soldiers call it Operation Fearful Dusting.

"I assumed that it was created because we weren't supposed to get a lot of snow and then all of a sudden it came out of nowhere," said Major Jon Black, Md. National Guard.

Until the mess is clear, drivers should expect sudden road blocks and sketchy visibility.

"Even with a four-wheel drive," said Sullivan.  "A lot of people think four-wheel drive means you can run 40-45 mph. No, it doesn't mean that. It means you just have better traction with four-wheel drive. You need to still take your time."

Because of those road conditions, crews will be out throughout the night. Drivers are asked to stay off the roads if possible.