While Hurricane Isabel has been largely forgotten, some Dranesville District residents continue to suffer its effects, said Supervisor Stuart Mendelsohn (R) Monday during the Board of Supervisors meeting.
He joined a discussion initiated by Supervisor Penny Gross (D-Mason), who observed that debris from the storm still has not been picked up from some homes in her district.
Mendelsohn said the same problem exists in Dranesville, but it is worse there because they are the same residents who went without power for the longest period of time after Isabel passed through on Sept. 18-19.
“These people have been put through the wringer, over and over,” Mendelsohn said. “They were the last to get power [after the hurricane], the last to get trash picked up, and now, the last [for county yard and tree debris pickup]. It sure doesn’t sit well with the citizens of Dranesville,” he said.
Collections of yard debris from those areas in Dranesville District that have county trash service were scheduled for Nov. 5-7.
“We are last, in the whole county,” said Rosemary Ryan, an aide to Mendelsohn.
County Executive Tony Griffin said pickups have been delayed because of volume.
“There is more debris than we have either personnel or equipment to pick it up,” increasing from 100 tons to 700 tons per week, Griffin said.
“I think the amount has been overwhelming for our people, and the contractors. It has just been overwhelming,” said Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon).
The public utilities staff of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) will hold a public meeting in Fairfax County for residents who lost telephone and electric service after Isabel.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 4 and 5, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
Residents who want to comment are encouraged to arrive early and sign up. When all speakers have finished, there will be an opportunity to ask questions of SCC staff and electric and telephone company representatives.
The SCC is also accepting written comment at www.state.va.us/scc/isabeloutages.htm or by e-mail at isabeloutages@scc.state.va.us.
By mail, comment can be addressed to Isabel Outages, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218. Comments will be received through Nov. 19.
The SCC’s analysis of utility companies’ performance after Isabel is expected to take several months to complete.
Director of Energy Regulation William F. Stephens and Director of Communications William Irby both said their objective "is to learn what we can from the storm. The learning starts with hearing from those people who were without power for as long as two weeks and without phone service for nearly a month."
For more information call the State Corporation Commission at 804-371-9141, TTY 804-371-9206.