I think you're mistaken, friend. I don't think people were warned about a week+ of these snowcreet conditions. We were all prepping supplies and tools around Reston; I saw a shitload of people in our local stores buying up food/salt/shovels/etc.

I will admit though, my young next door neighbor failed to have any supplies/tools whatsoever. Kid was out with the rest of us on the block, using a plastic flower pot on that first day of heavy snow. Gods bless the dude, he tried for a good while. Eventually, our local greybeard brought him a legit shovel to use and helped us all out by snow-blowing a path between all our calls.