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Communities around Lycoming County found different results in handling the piles of snow left by Wednesday's snowstorm.
City residents, on edge because of spread of COVID-19, remain exasperated by a combination of fewer plow passes during the height of the blizzard of 2020 and having to unbury their vehicles to get to work or to shop.
It's the busiest weekend of the year for shopping and many vehicles remain stuck, some of them abandoned in the middle of streets, said Adam Winder, acting general manager of the city streets and parks department, otherwise known as public works.
"Our phones are ringing off the hook," he said at noon at the building, 1500 W. Third St.
Over the truck radio, Tom Cillo, a streets and parks department employee, called in about the challenge to plow a certain street. Numerous streets were getting plowed Friday instead of during the storm, Winder said.
As he fielded the Sun-Gazette interview request, three more calls came in while Winder and a dispatcher were trying to manage or triage the ongoing street and alley plowing situation. The department will work overtime to accomplish the remaining secondary streets and alleys. The city maintains 190 miles of streets and 80 miles of alleys, he said.
"We had some mechanical breakdowns and smaller trucks stuck in the snow," he said.
Residents who were unlucky left vehicles abandoned until more than 26 inches accumulated and the storm ended only to find they had to dig out, sometimes tossing snow into the street, worsening an already challenging situation.
Acknowledging fewer plow passes took place, Winder said it was due to the minor equipment breakdowns. Most of the problems were mechanical in nature and fixed quickly but the snow didn't let up, he said.
"We are working with equipment that is 20 years old," he said.
Nobody could predict a 22-hour storm with 2 to 3 inches an hour, but that is what took place, as the snow began falling at noon Wednesday and didn't stop until early Thursday morning.
Several pieces of equipment sustained mechanical failure during the height of the blizzard, Winder said.
Residents, some who don't have off-street parking, shoveled out their vehicles, and with no where to put the snow added to the accumulation in the middle of the streets, he said.
"Our guys were pushed to the maximum, some working for 36 hours straight during the worst storm since 1964," Winder said.
"We appreciate the public patience and cooperation during this trying time."
"Our goal is to make the streets and alleys passable," he said.
For those with a question or complaint, a "real person" will answer telephones, not a recording, Winder said.
But recently, Councilwoman Bonnie Katz, chairwoman of the public works and safety committees, said her fear has been realized. She worried that too many individuals such as Winder are taking on too many roles.
Winder also is general manager of River Valley Transit. River Valley Transit, the city bus service and tourism agency, was used during the storm -- both personnel and equipment, Winder said.
Katz said she worried that stretching staff such as Winder, then assigned multiple roles, was going to come back and "bite us."
Snow has been removed from streets and alleys in other municipalities around Lycoming County, as well.
"It's going as well as can be expected," said Steven W. Capelli, borough manager of South Williamsport.
The borough had 25-plus inches and the goal was to get the streets open and the alleys opened, especially in a borough where a majority of residents do not have off-street parking, he said.
Streets crews worked 30 hours in plow trucks, on backhoes and operating loaders, he said.
Overtime exposure has been budgeted for in 2020, he said.
The next obligation is to unload the snow at designated locations, he said.
The amount of snow has resulted in a re-evaluation meeting scheduled, to look at getting another dump truck equipped with a plow, he said. The truck the borough did order was in Towanda at the time being fitted and there was a slowdown in the supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cappelli said.
The sidewalk ordinance was suspended for 72 hours to allow residents to get them cleared, Cappelli said.
In Jersey Shore and Hughesville boroughs, main streets and alleys were plowed.
"When you get 2 feet of snow there is only so much you can do," said Cody Hoover, Jersey Shore borough manager.
Crews would continue to work today digging out any remaining alleys, he said.
Montoursville and Loyalsock Township are unique in that many houses and apartments have off-street parking.
Attempts to reach Ginny Gardner the borough manager at Montoursville were not immediately successful although a message was left with the office.