WASHINGTON – What did you do when the earthquake struck in August? The 5.9 magnitude quake shook much of the area and even cracked the Washington monument.
But how should these kinds of emergencies be handled? The DC City Council attempted to figure it out Thursday in a judiciary committee hearing. Councilman Phil Mendelson said he wasn’t happy with how the city dealt with the earthquake. “I’m a little annoyed and frustrated, and I’m going to try to control myself here,” he said.
In recent snowstorms and after the earthquake, many workers decided to leave work early causing massive traffic, Mendelson said. He questioned why people left immediately after an event, and said that staying at work until the roads are safe would be a better option.
The councilman and those called to testify agreed that more communication and better response time would help control gridlock in these situations. The city council said it would continue to look for ways to improve Washington’s problems in handling emergencies.