RICHMOND, Va. — For some in Central Virginia, the seemingly never melting has been frustrating but manageable. For others, like Sarah Noonkester, who lives in South Richmond, it’s been life-altering.
The Richmond woman says she hasn’t been able to leave her house in more than a week, missing critical doctor appointments because of icy roads.
Noonkester says she’s felt forgotten and trapped inside her Richmond home, like many across the city with health or mobility issues, after days of ice left streets impassable.
"If anything was wrong with my health, real seriously, the paramedics wouldn’t be able to get to me. So, with these streets not being clean out here, it’s not a good thing and it's like we don’t exist," Noonkester, who lives with tachycardia, an abnormally fast resting heart rate, said.
Her condition requires frequent doctor visits. But because of the ice, she hasn’t been able to go.
While some roads may turn to slush during the day, Noonkester’s condition prevents her from shoveling or navigating the ice herself. And she’s not alone.
Across the city, others are facing the same dangerous reality some even canceling chemo and dialysis treatments because roads still haven’t been cleared.
"I've talked to a number of residents over the course of last few days, of folks who are caretakers, who have young kids, who are missing doctor's appointments. And again, I just want to say this is a difficult time. It's a challenging time. The ice that has come is a unique time," Richmond Mayor Dr. Danny Avula said during a weekend press conference. "I would really just encourage people to change appointments, to go virtual when they can, and to and if you are in a place where mobility is a challenge, to try to stay hold up at home until we can get the streets clear."
Noonkester says she can no longer wait.
“We are still stuck. We are really still stuck," she said. “How are we going to get there? How are we supposed to just, are we just supposed to get out there and slide like we are sliding on a sliding board to the bus stop?”
Noonkester says she can’t afford to miss another appointment. She’s rescheduled all of them for Tuesday and hopes family members can help get her out of her house and to the doctor safely.
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