Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I lived north many years, where a foot or two wasn't unusual and generally no one even talked nor complained about it; was just considered normalcy. The media gets people hysterical, and then these folks clear the store shelves. People are very predictable that way. "Heaven forbid we should do without (fill in the blank) for a couple days". I live now in the south, and people can't drive in snow or ice it seems and don't stay home even when they should
You're quick. Even living in a Front Range city, it would take more than twenty minutes for me to get to the grocery and back. We can get some pretty big storms here in Colorado, but I think I'd take a little more time than usual if a storm much bigger than the norm was headed our way. In addition to the grocery/propane run, my preparations would probably include filling prescriptions and purchasing any oft-used OTC drugs if we're running low; inspecting the roof, gutters, and trees for any issues that could lead to damage from high winds and heavy snow; checking the weather-stripping on the doors and windows; cooking any meat, like chicken, that could be consumed without re-heating, baking a loaf of bread, making chocolate syrup for cocoa; and starting a huge pot of chili (our go to blizzard meal); collecting anything from work that could be completed at home given the power stays on; fueling and securing our vehicles; and charging our cellphones and batteries. I might also fill our water storage containers if there was any risk of frozen pipes.
All the tires spinning and cars being pushed on what looks basically like bare pavement, get shouts of "buy some tires, you idiot"
Honest to God, you'd think two inches of snow was the end of the world. But on the plus side, it makes for some comic relief around here.
Looks like, but probably isn't.
Around here in northeast TN where the temps yesterday hovered around the freeze point the 'bare' pavement probably had a thin sheet of solid ice over it. Most people don't have snow tires or anything similar because this kind of thing happens maybe a few days out of the year, if that.
The few plows and salt trucks stayed busy trying to keep the main roads in the city cleared while people in the county were mostly ignored.
Having lived in Michigan I can tell you that it's actually easier to deal with driving in areas where it gets cold and stays cold all winter, it's a totally different experience than driving in borderline areas that bounce between freeze and thaw cycles, places that tend to see ice more often than snow.
Maybe it's not the end of the world but it does make things challenging and potentially dangerous, I don't see anything funny about that.
You're quick. Even living in a Front Range city, it would take more than twenty minutes for me to get to the grocery and back. We can get some pretty big storms here in Colorado, but I think I'd take a little more time than usual if a storm much bigger than the norm was headed our way. In addition to the grocery/propane run, my preparations would probably include filling prescriptions and purchasing any oft-used OTC drugs if we're running low; inspecting the roof, gutters, and trees for any issues that could lead to damage from high winds and heavy snow; checking the weather-stripping on the doors and windows; cooking any meat, like chicken, that could be consumed without re-heating, baking a loaf of bread, making chocolate syrup for cocoa; and starting a huge pot of chili (our go to blizzard meal); collecting anything from work that could be completed at home given the power stays on; fueling and securing our vehicles; and charging our cellphones and batteries. I might also fill our water storage containers if there was any risk of frozen pipes.
I took 20 minutes in the store; the drive would be another 20 but I stopped after work so I was close.
I do all my pre-winter house/property prep in October. I am pretty much set except I thought I should buy some propane for my portable cook top in case the power went out. Dog food was getting low and I picked up a few fresh items.
Generator ready to go. Not much prep time required here.
I don't understand people not having a basic food supply to weather a couple of days. Don't know why it would take two days to prepare for a storm. You should always be prepared.
It sure is a lot different nowadays! But I can still get fed up with the cold, gray days and when I get to having a pity party I put on the DVD "The Donner Party" by PBS and reality sets in again for me.
So terrible that I moan if my feet feel a little cold when I'm standing in the kitchen while cooking nuke food in the microwave. Or, heaven forbid, have to drive 1/2 mile to the grocery store after we receive a whopping 1/2 inch of snow! It's about that time I tell myself to "get over it!".
For me, the heaviest snowfall in the KC Metro Area was October 1996, about 8"; and it melted off pretty quickly. If this area received a foot or more of snow I think most would hide under their beds.
Well as of right now we (in NOVA) have 2' of snow and it's still coming down.
I can drive as I have a jeep and there is a single plowed lane in the neighborhood but I had to shovel for 2 hours to get the car out. I dove my son to a neighbor's house then came back. I am sore now but will have to shovel again tomorrow.
Honestly - those of you who think this storm and its repercussions are a big joke should be ashamed of yourselves. Just because some of you are perhaps used to snow and ice, or like it or whatever does not mean that everybody feels the same way. People panic and die in instances like this. I do agree that media does definitely overplay BUT they do an excellent job of letting the masses know what's coming in a timely manner and giving them plenty of time to react, plan, prepare, and hopefully relocate if they are able to.
I see no reason to laugh, point fingers, or make fun of people who are not prepared for this kind of a storm. Nobody wants to die for pete's sake. We're lucky that we have the technology today that the weathermen can alert us to what's coming - but they can't control what we do with that knowledge. Some people are like lemmings - they just follow the herd. Run to the store, buy stuff they aren't sure they will or won't need, worry needlessly, etc. They don't know what else to do.....
So, next time you all snort and chuckle at how those southerners, or north-easterner's or (insert whatever) remember the first time you experienced it yourself. Were you calm and collected? Was it amusing? Did you enjoy it? Didn't think so....cut them some slack...
I grew up and live in the midwest. I know about snow, ice, tornado's, etc. Have experienced them up close and personal, but I don't want to do it again, or over and over. I want to get through it as painlessly as the next person....and God willing we all do.
You folks on the East coast - hunker down and stay safe. There's at least one of us here that doesn't think this is a big joke or that you guys deserve it. Hope it ends soon with no loss of life. Good luck to you all.....
Every household should be prepared for extreme weather events, hopefully ahead of time, like you, Wartrace. But you know as well as I do that it takes a lot more than just twenty minutes. You yourself admit starting in October.
When we were snowed in for two weeks in 2006 (fortunately with power), we ran out of food despite my best efforts to stock the pantry. The closest supermarket was sold out and could not restock because the delivery trucks simply could not get through. It was a trying time. Fortunately, a neighbor with a 4WD truck was able to make it to another grocery and buy supplies for half the street.
I'm glad people on the east coast are taking this seriously, and if it took a little media histrionics to get everyone to pay attention, I'm perfectly okay with that.
Hyping the crap out of certain events, spreading FUD, and playing to the emotions of human beings is a big-time moneymaker for the mainstream media. That is why the 24-hour national news and even the local newscasts cover these weather events in the way that they do, especially in recent years. That's why The Weather Channel started naming winter storms a few years ago. "Shock value" and "hype culture" matters. It's just marketing. Understanding human psychology and knowing what makes people tick can result in a pretty substantial boost in TV ratings. Their coverage can get irritating sometimes, but the #1 thing that the execs of CNN, NBC, CBS etc care about is $$$.
On the other hand, there's also a risk of not giving enough coverage to a serious and dangerous weather event, and the backlash the media could potentially receive due to that. They calculated that it is better to overhype than to not cover it enough, and I generally agree with them. A lot of people still rely on live TV news to get a feel for how bad a weather event may be.
It would be nice if the media could give these kinds of weather events good coverage in a reasonable way, without going overboard with "extreme" this and "cataclysmic" that. But that approach would be seen as boring.
This weekend's northeast blizzard is serious stuff and people should stay safe and out of the elements if possible. 15-30 inches of snow in that short a period of time, plus strong winds, would cause serious problems just about anywhere. Even in cities like Denver, Chicago or Minneapolis. Even in Canada.
Every household should be prepared for extreme weather events, hopefully ahead of time, like you, Wartrace. But you know as well as I do that it takes a lot more than just twenty minutes. You yourself admit starting in October.
When we were snowed in for two weeks in 2006 (fortunately with power), we ran out of food despite my best efforts to stock the pantry. The closest supermarket was sold out and could not restock because the delivery trucks simply could not get through. It was a trying time. Fortunately, a neighbor with a 4WD truck was able to make it to another grocery and buy supplies for half the street.
I'm glad people on the east coast are taking this seriously, and if it took a little media histrionics to get everyone to pay attention, I'm perfectly okay with that.
I am actually glad that the media talks about it because some people are dense and would definitely try to drive in this mess.
In northern New Jersey it is very bad. It has been snowing furiously all day. Last year we had a very bad winter and lots of roofs collapsed due to the heavy snow.
Also, the poor battered Jersey shore is getting pounded again.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Bought some groceries and propane.
