RICHMOND, Va. β Hundreds of people in Central Virginia remain trapped in their neighborhoods due to dangerous icy conditions that have persisted since Sunday's winter storm.
Richmond's hilly terrain has created particularly hazardous driving situations for some families in Chruch Hill who say they've been unable to leave their homes for days as ice-covered roads make travel nearly impossible.
Sam Griffel, who lives in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood, said she's been stuck at home since Sunday and has watched multiple vehicles slide down her street and get stuck.
"I so appreciate seeing the city send out the vehicles doing whatever they can to try and get the ice up, because I've never seen anything like this before," Griffel said on Thursday. "We're watching from our window, cars sliding down the street all day yesterday. I think we counted eight cars that spun out. There are three of them still trapped on the road right now. Their owners had to abandon them."
Griffel said city crews started putting up road closure signs and cones days after Sunday's winter storm.
Before that, she says it's been neighbors helping neighbors, putting up signs, verbal warnings, and waving down cars to not go up and down some roads and hills.
Up the road at Riverbend Roastery, coffee shop manager Jessica Nelson said they've done their best to stay open despite the situation.
"We've just been really trying to be here for the community, be here for the warmth, the food. I know some people don't have any more food. Just trying to be here to support everybody that is just as stuck on the hill as we are," Nelson said. "We've been closing early just so everybody can get home safely before the sun goes down. Once the sun goes down, it's just too unsafe to be outside."
It's been a challenge for Nelson's delivery crews to drop off product, making it difficult to serve hot cups in the coming weeks.
"We missed out on a delivery for an entire week, so last week we had to double up on our items," Nelson said.
The City of Richmond said about 50% of neighborhood routes have been treated by Thursday afternoon.
Richmond DPW plans to treat more neighborhood routes Thursday night as they prepare to pre-treat Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes ahead of the next storm.
Freezing temperatures are expected to last into next week and there is a chance of snow in Richmond over the weekend.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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