Washington Requests US Federal Funding for Snowstorm Cleanup

The Washington, DC authorities will request funding from the federal government to assist with the cleanup from the blizzard, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Washington, DC authorities are asking the US federal government to provide financial aid to clean-up the US capital in the aftermath of the historic snowstorm "Jonas" that hit over the weekend, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a Twitter message on Monday.

"Today, DC will request funding from the federal government to assist with the cleanup from the blizzard," Bowser tweeted.

Today, DC will request funding from the Federal Government to assist with the cleanup from the Blizzard. #DCDigOut

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 25, 2016

The Washington, DC metro area finds itself in a snowy gridlock after the massive snowfall that started on Friday afternoon and lasted through Saturday night. The US capital received about 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

All government offices and schools in Washington, DC are closed on Monday, while the Metro transportation authority restored only limited services.

Mayor Bowser noted that the authorities have also suspended the pick-up of trash through Wednesday.

"We will attempt pick-up on Thursday and work through the weekend to catch up," she added.

Ahead of the storm, the US states of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, in addition to Washington, DC, declared a state of emergency. Thousands of domestic flights have been cancelled or delayed as a result of the severe weather conditions.