Even if you don't live around Atlanta, you'd have to be hiding under a rock not to have heard about our weather this week. It has been pretty wild. Snow and Ice...
We got ice, followed by snow... followed by ice. Then melt and refreeze. Lots of ice.
That is one of the primary differences between "Southern Snow Events" and what happens up north. Almost whenever we have snow there is ice. I used to live in Minnesota, and in my 6 winters there was one ice storm. We usually have one a year here in Georgia.
And that is a double edged sword. With one ice storm a year, and few other snowfalls, investing millions of dollars in snow removal and salt/sand spreaders doesn't make economic sense.
But, the cities and counties also don't have adequate plans to deal with the roads. Front-end loaders are effective at removing snow in downtown areas. Graders are effective at removing snow on other streets. And honestly, it doesn't cost that much to equip government dump trucks with plow racks and blades.
But then there are the people... the GBR 4WD Club (of which I am a member) helped to get supplies and staff to 5 area hospitals. Local people and businesses stepped up to help people stuck at the airport and bus station because of the weather. Neighbors checked in on each other to make sure that they all had food and any needed medications. Neighbors even got together to clear roads in their neighborhoods so that school buses would have an easier time when school started back up.
Related articles
- Frozen South: Could Be Days Before Thaw- WEATHER CENTER (foxnews.com)
- Winter Driving Tips... Georgia Style... (lanebailey.com)
- Winter storm that shut down the South turns north (thenewstribune.com)
- 2000 Atlanta flights cut again; East awaits snow - msnbc.com (news.google.com)
- Ice to stay in metro Atlanta for days (ajc.com)
- Off-Roaders Help at Local Hospitals (11Alive.com)
Coping with Weather in GA on LaneBailey.com
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
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