LA PLATA, Md. — A historic winter storm that struck Charles County in late January brought hundreds of emergency calls, multiple fires and dangerous rescue conditions that emergency officials said they had never experienced at this level.
During a departmental briefing to the Charles County Board of Commissioners, Deputy Director of Charles County Emergency Services Tony Rose described the storm as an unprecedented event for local responders.
“This was a crazy historic event, one I’ve never seen before,” Rose said.
The emergency responses discussed by officials occurred during a major winter storm that impacted Charles County in late January 2026. Weather forecasts at the time warned of heavy snow, ice accumulation and subfreezing temperatures that prevented melting and left roads and walkways hazardous for days.
Officials said the most intense response period covered the first 78 hours of the storm, with dangerous conditions continuing for about six days as ice remained on surfaces and continued generating emergency calls.
Storm response totals included:
- 329 emergency service calls
- 887 emergency vehicles dispatched
- Nearly 2,200 first responders deployed
- 941 total response hours
Rose said the number of calls in such a short period highlights how unusual the storm response was.
“In the first 78 hours there were 329 requests for emergency service,” Rose said. “Unheard of.”
Major Incidents During The Storm
Emergency crews responded to a wide range of serious incidents during the storm, including:
Emergency incidents included:
- 5 working house fires
- 1 firefighter mayday emergency
- 1 structure evacuation
- 1 crash requiring extrication
- 1 fatal pedestrian crash
- 4 departmental vehicle collisions
- 6 calls involving people not breathing
- 29 fall-related emergency calls
Dangerous Ice Conditions Slowed Rescues
Officials said one of the biggest challenges was how quickly the snow turned into solid ice, making it extremely difficult for emergency crews to reach patients even over short distances.
Roadways, driveways and walkways became slick and nearly impassable, forcing responders to move slowly and sometimes use special traction equipment just to reach homes. In some cases, what would normally take minutes turned into extended rescue operations.
In one incident, it took emergency crews 66 minutes to reach a patient from the end of a driveway to the home, followed by another 36 minutes to safely transport the patient back to an ambulance due to hazardous conditions.
Officials also reported 29 fall-related emergency calls during the first 78 hours of the storm, highlighting how dangerous the icy conditions were for residents.
Calls Continued After The Storm
Officials said emergency calls continued even after snowfall ended as ice remained on roads, driveways and walkways, creating hazardous conditions for several days. The department tracked incidents over a roughly 144-hour (six-day) response period as crews continued responding to weather-related emergencies tied to the lingering ice.
During the full 144-hour response period, crews handled:
- 2 additional house fires
- 1 barn fire
- 1 additional motor vehicle crash
- 1 additional pedestrian incident
- 3 additional departmental collisions
- 7 additional calls for people not breathing
- 60 fall-related calls
- 7 emergency services injuries
- 1,156 total response hours
One rescue required responders to use snow traction spikes to climb an icy uphill driveway to safely reach a patient.
Animal Control Also Part Of Response
Animal Control officers also responded during the storm, including calls involving animals running at large in the dangerous conditions.
Rose said the storm demonstrated the coordination between career and volunteer responders during a major emergency.
“Not only the Department of Emergency Services, but volunteer Fire EMS answered the call during that time period,” Rose said.
Commissioners Highlight Growing Demand For Emergency Services
County commissioners said the storm demonstrated the increasing strain on emergency services as Charles County continues to grow.
“More people mean more calls for service and an elderly population increasing means more calls for service,” Commissioner President Reuben Collins said.
Collins also commended emergency personnel for their work during the storm response.
“I want to commend our emergency services team for its response,” Collins said.
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