Philadelphia residents, businesses still digging out days after winter storm: "It's been tough"

Three days after a winter storm blanketed Philadelphia, residents across the city were still digging out cars and clearing streets Wednesday, while some business owners said the prolonged cleanup continues to hurt foot traffic.

Snow-covered vehicles remained lined along city streets as neighbors shoveled out parking spaces and pathways well into the week. In Bella Vista, resident Bee Johnson laughed as she worked to free her car from packed snow.

"I'm from Texas, so I have no clue how this works," Johnson said.

For Johnson, the challenge wasn't just clearing the snow — it was figuring out where to put it.

"You can't put it on the roads, and you can't put it on the other cars, so I don't know where it's supposed to go," she said.

Other residents said preparation made a difference. Stacie Beene said she was relieved she managed to buy a shovel just before the storm arrived.

"I got this shovel at the last minute on Saturday before the snow came in," Beene said.

The city's Streets Department said plowing and salting operations remain ongoing, with more than 200 dump trucks, excavators and loaders deployed across Philadelphia.

For businesses, the lingering snow has meant fewer customers. Along Market Street, Campo's Philly Cheesesteaks co-owner Rick Basso said the storm and bitter cold have resulted in lost revenue.

"It's been probably close to five days of lost business, between getting the snow and the extreme cold weather, and then the dig out in the city," Basso said.

Standing inside the empty shop, Basso said the lack of foot traffic has been challenging.

"It's been tough, obviously you can see, there's nobody here in the store," he said. "It's hard with the weather, it's really killing us."

Basso said every online order helps.

"The app services — even though they take a percentage of our business, that really helps us continue to stay open in these cold, cold months when nobody wants to come out of the house," he said.

City officials say the storm is still affecting trash services. Sanitation crews are running one day behind schedule on trash pickup, and residents are encouraged to place trash out front rather than in rear driveways because of icy conditions.