Well, here we are in January and no surprise it snowed! It was only a couple of inches. The big surprise is most of us were thinking it wouldn't be bad yesterday! I usually say that our winter here in Georgia is January to March, and if we are going to get really extreme cold or snow weather it's then. We quickly became under a state of emergency! Snow and ice paralyzed the city in a short period of time!
There are some that laugh at the fact that this place [the South] becomes a crazy panic stricken area when we get a little snow here. Well I grew-up for the most part in Indiana and I've seen my share of extreme cold and snow. But what happens here is, it snows and the snow isn't sticking right away to the streets, it melts, then it freezes into black ice. That ice gets covered by more snow and that then becomes the most dangerous part about it. Along with the fact that we are not fully and adequately prepared with all the necessary trucks, salt, sand and equipment to help in making our roads a safer place during those critical times. There are also many who may never have seen, let alone driven on snow or ice before, nor are snow tires common place here. Even northerners have a difficult time driving on ice, if at all! Throw in a mid-morning "Oh this really is going to get bad, send everyone home from school and work", and then total gridlocks ensues for many that then find themselves stuck in it. There is a blame game going on now as to who is at fault for not alerting early enough that it would be worse then had originally been forecast.
I'm glad the Hubby came home early from work shortly after my recommending (insisting) he do so, and my sharing stories of the bad weather and snow coming in fast since our daughter had already sent photos of where she lives, about an hour from us. She had called me around 11 a.m. and said that they were all sent home from her work with an almost white-out of snow there, I told her I hadn't even seen one snow flake yet! It surely began snowing shortly thereafter at our place.
The stories soon started appearing on the news of hazardous roads and traffic situations. I read many stories throughout the day of friends on social media that were stuck for hours! One person we know, it took her eleven and half hours to drive 15 miles! She left her work around 11:30 a.m. and got home at 11 p.m.! She actually made it less than a mile from her home and was fortunate enough to have a person on a four wheeler take her to her house, although she ended up having to leave her car because her car slide off the road and then got stuck.(She and her car were unharmed) Another person stopped to get gas, the police were there telling them they could not go back out on the roads, that they had to stay there and off the roads! I was hoping as I said prayers for those who were out and a part of this, that they would make it safely home. I felt relieved that my loved ones that were also experiencing this winter surprise were safe and sound, warm and comfy in their homes!
There was vast news footage today of the many cars and stories of people stranded from throughout the day and over night. Folks sleeping at schools, stores or restaurants that were taking them in. There was a delivery of a baby born in a car that was stuck it traffic. Another person we know told of his leaving the airport at 7 p.m. and he didn't get home until 8 a.m. this morning! I'm sure there will be more stories to come, and many will remember the day!
Weather!...
