PRETENDING TO SERVE ASHBURN AND PLOW SNOW & Governor McAuliffe Declares State of Emergency in Response to the Winter Storm 25&21JAN16

THE inability of VDOT to clear commonwealth roads is pathetic, Gov terry mcauliffe, you and the House of Delegates have a lot of explaining to do. The State of Emergency you declared 4 days ago included mobilizing the VA National Guard. Understanding VDOT employees need to rest, there have to be members of the mobilized Guard who are qualified to operate snow plows. These people should be utilized to operate plows to keep the road clearing operation going 24 hours. Virginia roads should be in better condition than they are now. I bet Richmond streets, where the money is, are plowed.
The Ashburn HOA is equally pathetic and inept, they will not send their plows to clear the streets they are responsible for until VDOT plows the roads they are responsible for in Ashburn. If I was able to get out of my street I would't be surprised if I found the streets where the money is as well as the streets of the HOA officers plowed. After all, Cashburn is nothing more than a little oligarchy with a governing body granted dictatorial powers to make petty little rules about how close your garden can come to the common areas, what color your front door and house trim is and when you can put up and must take down holiday decorations. But these glorified grounds keepers can't deal with anything as difficult as snow removal.
So our lives are governed by inept buffoons, and I hope as soon as possible the residents of Ashburn remember the total failure of the HOA directors and do everything possible to get rid of them. We deserve and pay for better.

Governor McAuliffe Declares State of Emergency in Response to the Winter Storm

~Virginians Urged to Prepare Now~

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency at 8 a.m. today, an action that authorizes state agencies to assist local governments in responding to a major winter storm that is expected to impact the Commonwealth through Sunday.

In declaring a state of emergency, the governor authorizes state agencies to identify and position resources for quick response anywhere they are needed in Virginia. This action does not apply to individuals or private businesses.

Governor McAuliffe urges Virginians to prepare for this major winter storm, which could dump up to two feet of snow in central and northern regions. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph, sleet and freezing rain could result in downed trees, power outages and blocked roads.

“Keeping Virginians safe in the event of severe weather is our top concern – that is why Virginia began preparing for severe winter weather yesterday by ordering more than 500 vehicles out to pretreat roads in Northern Virginia,” said Governor McAuliffe. “All Virginians should take the threat of this storm seriously and take necessary precautions now to ensure they are prepared for travel disruptions and possible power outages during a cold weather period.”

“VDOT is prepared with crews, equipment and materials to treat roads in advance of the storm and will work throughout the storm to plow roads,” said Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne. “Driving conditions during the storm are expected to be hazardous and motorists are urged to stay off the roads until the storm passes.” 

State Actions:

• Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are on 24-hour operations and are pretreating roads where temperatures permit. Motorists are strongly encouraged to stay off the roads during the storm. For information about road and traffic conditions, check www.511virginia.org or call 511 before traveling.
• The Virginia State Police have all uniformed personnel and necessary specialty units ready for response to the next round of increased volumes in traffic crashes, disabled vehicles, and other storm-related emergencies. Virginians are advised to plan ahead for slick, treacherous road conditions. They can also help reduce traffic crashes and delays by avoiding travel during the storm.
• The Virginia National Guard has been authorized to bring up to 500 personnel on state active duty for possible assistance with the state's severe winter weather response operations. The Guard plans to stage personnel at readiness centers in key locations across the commonwealth in order to be ready to rapidly respond if needed. The alert process to notify personnel to report for duty began Wednesday afternoon, and the Guard plans to have forces in place and ready to go by early evening on Thursday, Jan. 21. Potential missions for the Guard include transportation through heavy snow, downed tree removal, debris reduction and distribution of food, water and other supplies.

What Citizens Should Do:

• Stay off the roads during the storm unless travel is absolutely necessary. If travel is necessary, drive with caution and allow extra space around other vehicles.
• Use extreme caution around slow-moving equipment being used to treat roads, such as snow plows.
• Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter and is in safe driving condition. Keep an emergency kit in your car. Include items such as jumper cables, blankets, first aid kit, water, non-perishable food, cat litter or sand, shovel, flash light and batteries, ice scraper and cell phone charger.
• Check on elderly or homebound neighbors, family, and friends to ensure they are ready for this storm and any possible inconveniences or interruptions that may result.
• Bring pets inside from the cold.
• Be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for at least 72 hours, in case roads are blocked and/or there are power outages.
• Have a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio and extra batteries for emergency information. Listen to local weather forecasts and instructions from local officials.
• If you need help, information or resources during the storm, call 211. Those with hearing impairments can call 711 for the Virginia Relay Center and then call 1-800-230-6977. Out of state or videophone users may also dial 1-800-230-6977 for assistance.
• Download the free Ready Virginia app at: http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/additional-resources/mobileapp.
• Download the free VDOT 511 app for updates on road conditions at: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/511.asp.

For more information on the Commonwealth’s response efforts, visit http://www.vaemergency.gov.

- See more at: https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=13966#sthash.uDj1osfb.dpuf

Storm updates: Steady snow, gusty winds to slowly wane this evening 23JAN16

LATEST on our blizzard from the  +Capital Weather Gang at the +Washington Post and me! Is is still cold, snowing and blowing. I was out with friends and neighbors shoveling our walks and around our vehicles. We have about 36 inches of snow on the ground with drifts thigh to waist high and the piles of snow from our shoveling are almost as tall as me, I'm 5 feet 7 inches tall. The Ashburn hoa nazis still haven't plowed my street,  the one and only time we saw a plow as mid afternoon on Friday, 22 JAN 16. If it isn't plowed by morning I will not be able to go to work. Will have pictures from me and my friends posted tomorrow. And so it goes......

Storm updates: Steady snow, gusty winds to slowly wane this evening

By Jason Samenow January 23 at 6:47 PM

Latest radar loop. (Weather Underground)

Blizzard warning | Latest forecast | Radar | Live news updates | Watch the storm live | Power outage tracker | What does two feet of snow look like? | Photo gallery
*** D.C. area forecast: Blizzard rages today, ending tonight after giant snowfall ***
Key points:

• Snow totals have reached 22-35 inches west, north, and northwest of the Beltway (locally 35″+), 17-24″ inches inside the Beltway, and 10-20 inches south and southeast of the Beltway.
• Steady snow and gusty winds are likely for a few more hours
• Snow tapers off between 9 and midnight tonight
• Blizzard conditions were achieved late this afternoon, but have relented some.
• Total snow accumulations of 16 to 30 inches are expected with some 30-36 inch totals well north and west of the District (Frederick and Loudoun counties). 20-30 inches totals will be most common in the immediate metro region. Totals in the 12-20 inch range are most likely near the Bay into Southern Maryland.

6:47 p.m. update: Believe it or not, New York City has received even more snow than D.C. JFK has logged it snowiest single day total on record. Former Capital Weather Gang contributor Andrew Freedman, now science editor at Mashable, sends us the following report from Brooklyn:

Manhattan and the Bronx along with Newark are closing in on 24-30 inches. JFK now at 24. Some areas of northern NJ could exceed 35 inches. Unreal here, in terms of snowfall rates all day and the National Weather Service has been playing catchup.
It was clear days ago that this was an excruciatingly tough forecast for New York City, with a shift of 40-50 miles making a huge difference. Unfortunately for many people, that shift happened in the models with evening runs on Friday, catching people off guard on Saturday morning, and forcing forecasters to up totals every few hours.
Historic storm in NYC, and it’s still going.

6:10 p.m. update: Between 3 and 5 p.m., the conditions outside qualified as a “blizzard” in the D.C. area.

5:50 p.m. update: Dulles Airport, as of 4:20 p.m., had tallied 26.5 inches of snow, second most on record there. It only trails Snowmageddon of Feb. 5-6, 2010, when 32.4 inches fell. Records at Dulles date back to 1963.

Dulles top five snowstorms, prior to Snowzilla. (NWS)

5:25 p.m. update: Here’s the latest snow total map assembled by the National Weather Service. Notice pretty much everyone north and west of the Beltway is over 20 inches. Many of these numbers are at least an hour or more old.

(National Weather Service)

5:10 p.m. update: D.C.’s official storm total, as of 5 p.m., is 17.5 inches which puts it ahead of the Blizzard of 1996 and into 5th place among the top 10 greatest storms. Just 0.3 inches need to fall for it to pass Snowmageddon.

[Where Snowzilla fits into D.C.’s top 10 snowstorms]

5:00 p.m. update: BLIZZARD! D.C. has officially met the criteria for a blizzard: Three straight hours with winds gusting over 35 mph, visibility of 0.25 miles or less and snow and blowing snow. At 5 p.m., National Airport, D.C.’s reporting station, observed heavy snow, winds gusting to 37 mph, and visibility of 0.06 miles.

4:45 p.m. update: Here are some recent snow totals:
Va.: Woodbridge 22″, Arlington 22″, Tysons-Vienna 23-25″, Leesburg 28-31″, Gainesville 27″, Fair Oaks 23″, Brambleton 35″, Great Falls 27″, Herndon 28″, Manassas 25″, Alexandra 21″, Fairfax 26″, Annandale 17″
Md.: Laurel 24″, Potomac and Rockville 24-28″, Silver Spring 28″, Pasadena 20″, Wheaton 22″, Eldersburg 34″, Greenbelt 20″, New Market 35″
D.C.: Petworth 19″, Mt. Pleasant 21″, Adams Morgan 23″, Navy Yard 19″

4:25 p.m. update: Let’s just say Columbia Heights is snowed under…

Columbia Heights, Jan. 23, 2016. (Amy Brittain)

Columbia Heights, Jan. 23, 2016. (Amy Brittain)

4:10 p.m. update: Reagan National Airport, D.C.’s official observing location, reports a storm total of 17.0 inches as of 4 p.m.  This puts this storm, Snowzilla, in 6th place among D.C.’s top 10 biggest storms, passing the Blizzard of 2003, which dropped 16.7 inches. It is poised to move further up the list.
4:02 p.m. update: D.C. (Reagan National) reports heavy snow and blowing snow, winds gusting to 39 mph and visibility of 0.25 miles at 4 p.m. If this persists for another hour, true blizzard conditions will have been achieved.

3:57 p.m. update: Look at the satellite (top) and radar (bottom) presentation of this storm. It’s just massive and isn’t done with us yet.

3:38 p.m. update: “This looks to last four more hours,” says Capital Weather Gang winter weather expert on this current blast of heavy snow and strong winds.  With snowfall rates of 1-2 inches an hour, you can do the math of how much more snow is possible.  Lighter snow should follow before the storm ends in the 8-11 p.m. window.

3:20 p.m. update: The following locations in Virginia and Maryland report an astounding 30 inches or more of snow…Md.: Parkville (33″), Olney (30″), Point of Rocks (31″), Jefferson – Frederick Co. (40″), Germantown (30″)
Va.: Brambleton (32″), Haymarket (31″), Ashburn (31″), Lovettsville (32″), Hillsboro (37″), Purcellville (32″), Bristow (30″), Round Hill (31″)

3:00 p.m. update: This last phase of the storm is a knockout blow. Near whiteout conditions have overtaken much of the  region. Reagan National is reporting heavy snow, winds gusting to 36 mph and just 0.13 miles of visibility at  3 p.m. Do not attempt to drive in this.
Photos:

2:53 p.m. update: When does it end?  Here’s a simulation from the HRRR model, which suggests in the 8-11 p.m. timeframe this evening.

Simulation of end of storm from HRRR model. (WeatherBell.com)

One caution is that sometimes in these very wound-up storms, the snow lasts a little longer than the models predict.
2:40 p.m. update: The National Weather Service has posted a map of totals, and they are impressive.  Bear in mind this map is an hour old now, but you can see the consistency of totals over 20 inches north and west of the Beltway… and these are just going to go higher.

Totals as of 1:40 p.m. (NWS)

2:20 p.m. update: In areas from I-95 and east, after an extended lull (6-8 hours), the snow is picking back up in earnest and winds are howling. Visibilities are extremely limited so do not attempt to drive in this.  Across much of the region, another 3-6 inches of snow is possible and potentially more depending on how long this heavy band persists over the region.
(For our previous updates,, covering 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. today: see, Snow continues through the afternoon, winds increasing)

Jason is the Washington Post’s weather editor and Capital Weather Gang's chief meteorologist. He earned a master's degree in atmospheric science, and spent 10 years as a climate change science analyst for the U.S. government. He holds the Digital Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association.

EMERGENCY PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE / FRANKENSTORM SANDY

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS suggestions for Herndon and Northern Virginia for Hurricane / Frankenstorm Sandy

Current Impact

Citizens need to prepare NOW for a major weather event beginning Sunday and lasting through at least Tuesday. The storm will have strong winds which could last for more than 48 hours. Because of the strong winds, downed trees are predicted and extensive power outages are likely.

Are you Ready?

Visit www.vaemergency.gov for detailed information. Make an emergency kit, including flashlights, batteries, radio, water, food for 3 days that doesn't need refrigeration, first aid kit, blankets, prescriptions, important documents Stay tuned to local TV and radio stations for instructions and information. Make sure your car has at least ½ tank of gas. Have a plan in case you need to evacuate. Make sure your pets are prepared. Secure all outdoor items that could become a missile in heavy wind, including those pumpkins! Clear leaves from storm drains, gutters and other areas that if become clogged could cause flooding. Charge your cell phone. Follow safe operating procedures for generators, including not operating in closed spaces (like garages)  Withdraw extra cash. Check on elderly neighbors and friends.

State of Virginia

Governor McDonnell has declared a state of emergency to help in facilitating supplies, equipment and personnel across the state. VA Dominion Power, Virginia State Police, VDOT, Department of Forestry, National Guard, the Department of Health, as well as Fairfax and Loudoun Counties are preparing for storm and have personnel standing by. Real-time road closures and traffic conditions are available to dialing 511 or visiting www.511virginia.org.

Precautions

Do not travel through standing water, either on foot or in your vehicle. Stay away from downed power lines to avoid the risk of electrocution and report downed lines to VA Power (see number below) If traffic signals are out, treat as a 4-way stop. Regarding perishable food, "When in doubt, throw it out"

Contact Information

For a true emergency, call 9-1-1.  Do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages - please contact either Virginia Power or NOVEC (see below). Non-emergency numbers: Fairfax County:  703-691-2131 Loudoun County:  703-777-0637 Town of Herndon:  703-435-6846          Power Outages: Dominion VA Power:  1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) NOVEC:  1-888-335-0500 Downed Trees: VDOT 1-800-376-7623 (for public roads) Town of Herndon 703-435-6860 Fairfax County Emergency Blog:  http://fairfaxcountyemergency.wordpress.com/ Loudoun County Emergency Updates:  http://www.loudoun.gov/list.aspx National Weather Service:  http://www.nws.noaa.gov

The struggle for freedom of expression in the ‘new Egypt’ from AI 23JUN11

A report from Amnesty International on the human rights and political situation in Egypt. There is reason for hope......

By Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

Salil Shetty is visiting Egypt this month with an Amnesty International delegation ©AI

Arriving at Cairo airport earlier this week, the first time I had been to the country since the ‘25 January Revolution’, I got what seemed to be an early sign that some things have changed.
Our bags were opened at customs and contained a large amount of Amnesty International Arabic language materials on human rights in Egypt- reports, press releases and leaflets documenting serious abuses, both by the former government and more recently since Mubarak stepped down.
In the old days this could have meant several hours of questioning, and probably the confiscation of the material. The day before my arrival another member of our team had spent nearly two hours being questioned at immigration about the purpose of her trip.

But in this case, the officer checked with his superior, who took one look at the papers and simply waved us through.
This is an exciting time to have come to the region for my first visit as Secretary General. Meeting Egyptian officials and citizens, I am struck by the sense of possibilities and the willingness to challenge entrenched views.
Until this year Egyptians had been expected to accept their lot quietly – political repression, a relentless culture of torture and abuse, economic inequality – and be grateful for it. Those who challenged the system could be punished with “administrative detention” orders – which allowed the authorities to hold them without charge or trial for years – and many thousands were subjected to torture and ill treatment.
That is no longer something that the Egyptians I have met will tolerate. They want real change, and they have many different ideas of how it should be achieved.
Political debate and discussion is everywhere with competing proposals for how to tackle Egypt’s deep-rooted challenges. Transformative events like January 25th and the weeks that followed do not come with easy to follow instructions for what next. The protesters that brought down Mubarak did not have one single manifesto for change. So the arguments about what should come first are in full force.
Should the struggle for political freedoms mean that efforts to reform the economy to better provide for the 40% of the country’s population that live below the international poverty line have to be delayed? How should the rise of voices espousing religious identity – many of which were severely suppressed under Mubarak – be reconciled with the “one people” aspirations of the protesters?
At a meeting Amnesty International hosted this week with local human rights groups the argument was impassioned and views were often very divided. But all agreed on one thing: it was good to be able to debate and argue like this.
But not everyone appreciates the new spirit of free speaking. One Egyptian journalist asked me during an interview “don’t you think that the fact that all our political parties disagree so much is causing instability?” I reminded her that Egyptians had made very clear that they had had quite enough of having one view forced upon them for three decades.
Being prepared to speak freely also means accepting criticism; a new experience for many institutions in Egypt.
The armed forces, who were praised by much of the population for not firing on protesters at the time of Mubarak’s fall and are now in effective charge of the country, have until now dealt particularly badly with being criticised. This is particularly striking since they continue to enjoy relatively high popularity among the Egyptian people.
Rather than answering their critics’ points in a transparent manner, they have attempted to silence their critics, calling in journalists and bloggers and threatening with military prosecution should they continue to publicly speak against the army.
In a deeply worrying trend, the authorities appear to be trying to criminalise dissent – the new ‘Law No.34′ makes any strike or demonstration that “prevents or delays or obstructs from working any state institution or public authority or a public or private workplace” illegal.
There is simply no justification for this move, particularly ahead of elections in September. Peaceful protest is how Egyptians started to bring about change earlier this year.
While Egyptians want and are entitled to expect that law and order will be maintained, measures like this – and the 30 year old state of emergency which despite promises to abolish it remains in place – are unnecessary and do nothing to rebuild the trust of Egypt’s institutions.
As they try to make real their aspirations for a fairer, more just society, the argument and debate must be allowed to continue without Egyptians fearing military trials or arbitrary detention. This is the only way real change will be delivered.

Yemen imposes state of emergency after deadly attack on protesters 18MAR11

THE U.N. imposes a no-fly zone over Libya and threatens military action in an attempt to stop the slaughter there but continues to ignore the genocide in Darfur and the bloody attacks on protesters in Yemen. Why? Because Darfur and Yemen offer no profits for corporate America and the American military-industrial complex. Don't be surprised when the Yemini government is overthrown and the new government wants nothing to do with America and the West.

Muhammed Muheisen/ AP - Anti-government protestors carry wounded protestors from the site of clashes in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, March 18, 2011. Yemeni security forces firing from rooftops and houses shot at tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators.

By Hakim Almasmari

SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency Friday, hours after pro-government gunmen firing from rooftops unleashed a bloody attack on protesters in the capital.

The death toll rose to 47 after the surprise assault, in which security forces and government supporters fired directly at protesters for more than 20 minutes, according to witnesses. In addition to the dead, hundreds of people were injured, dozens critically, medical workers said.

Doctors at the scene of the attack near Sanaa University, the protesters’ headquarters, said most of the wounds were to the head and chest, which they said indicated an intent to kill.
“Where are the human rights organizations?” said Alawi Hababi, a doctor at the university. “This is a massacre not witnessed in Sanaa over the past three decades.”
Protesters have held demonstrations daily across Yemen for more than 40 days, demanding the immediate ouster of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Government forces have struck back with increasing violence, injuring more than 300 people in the port city of Hodeida on Wednesday. But Friday’s protests were the largest yet, with crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands turning out in Sanaa and Taiz. There were significant rallies elsewhere, including in Hodeida and Aden.
The measure imposed Friday empowers the government to restrict Yemenis’ civil rights and monitor their communications, according to a senior Interior Ministry official.
“The country is witnessing a real crisis, and the state of emergency is the only option in ensuring that Yemen can be safe,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Hussein al-Mashdali, a lawyer and constitutional expert in Sanaa, challenged the move, saying it is not provided for in the constitution. “President Saleh does not have the authority to announce a state of emergency,” he said.
Meanwhile, Saleh said at a news conference restricted to state media representatives that he had ordered an investigation into attacks on protesters across the country and denied that the government was responsible for the killings in the capital.
“Security forces did not shoot at the protesters and were not armed,” he said.
An official at the presidential palace, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, reiterated that security forces were not involved. “The shooting came from the residents located near the area of the protest at Sanaa University,” the official said.
Youth activists said the gunfire came from the rooftops of government officials’ residences, in particular the home of Ahmed Ali Mohsen, a senior ruling party figure and governor of Mahweet province. At least 10 witnesses also said members of the ruling family, including Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, a nephew of the president’s, had been seen at the side of gunmen firing on protesters on the ground.
Witnesses said that security forces prevented ambulances from entering or leaving the area of the protest and that government vehicles took at least 20 of the wounded to the National Security Prison rather than to a hospital.
“At least seven national security vehicles took the injured to prison, and we fear they will be harassed and not treated,” said Ahmed Bahri, a lawyer who was at the protest.
Among those fatally shot Friday was Jamal al-Sharaabi, a photographer for the independent Yemeni weekly al-Masdar, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. A photographer for the BBC’s Arabic service was reportedly injured.
The opposition parties condemned the attack in forceful terms and reiterated their call for Saleh to step down. “The funeral of this regime will follow the funeral of the innocent civilians who were killed today,” said Mohammed Qahtan, the parties’ spokesman.
President Obama said in a statement Friday that those responsible for the attacks on Yemeni protesters must be held accountable. “I strongly condemn the violence that has taken place in Yemen today and call on President Saleh to adhere to his public pledge to allow demonstrations to take place peacefully,” he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement that the United States was “alarmed” by the violence and was “seeking to verify reports that this is the result of actions by security forces.”
Saleh is a key ally in U.S. efforts to combat al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the terrorist network that is active in Yemen.
International companies have started to evacuate their foreign staffs from Yemen amid fears that the growing violence might erupt into war. The U.S. and French embassies have also urged their citizens to leave.
Almasmari is a special correspondent.