Post Your Photos of the Valentine's Day Blizzard of '07! (Scranton: house, neighborhoods)

[ScranBarre]

Hello everyone! Well, here I am sitting in our home office surveying the frozen tundra that is now Greater Scranton. We have approximately one-and-a-half feet of snow outside from a recent blizzard that has since crippled the region. My local public school district, Pittston Area, dismissed early on Tuesday, closed Wednesday, closed today, and has already closed for tomorrow, which isn't surprising, considering most of our roadways in the area have yet to be plowed even once. It was embarrassing for me to have just called my employer to call off because the roads in our subvision hadn't even been plowed once yet, even though the snow stopped falling about 24 hours ago. To those of you who champion suburbia as being better then the inner city, let me inform you that my mother's boss resides in the city limits of Scranton, and she's able to see right down to the pavement on her street. At the height of the storm, I-81 was closed in the Pittston Area for 17 hours, stranding hundreds, if not thousands, of commuters on the snowbound highway, many of whom had no food, water, restroom facilitations, medication, etc. Even here in my own development, neighbor after neighbor has been forced to call off from work today as well after failing miserably to back out of their driveways onto the untreated roadways. King's College has yet to close classes for tomorrow, and if I arise tomorrow without a snow day, I'll have to contact the school and complain I suppose, as most local roadways are still covered in a foot-and-a-half of an icy sleet/snow mixture. Scranton is just an absolute MESS right now; state police are STILL advising all non-essential motorists to stay off of the roadways, and shelters were established in Lackawanna County to provide refuge to weary snowbound commuters.

Personally, I'd love to know why our genius Governor Rendell failed to declare a "State of Emergency", which would have prompted most employers to close for the day, keeping the roadways free of non-essential personnel so that emergency vehicles and plows could pass through unimpeded. My employer, Lowe's Home Improvement, was open both today and yesterday, and I honestly can't believe that corporate greed is being allowed to triumph over the safety of employees, as I was given a "hard time" about calling off today due to impassable roadways. I just recently snapped these photos of my subdivision in the Scranton suburbs, which sits along a major commuter artery, Highway 315, as well as I-81. Enjoy!

[ScranBarre]

After three back-breaking hours of labor, I finally managed to clear the majority of our driveway, as well as those of two neighbors.


This is the massive 8-9 foot snow bank I assembled after shoveling out the driveway. I bet our postal carrier doesn't want to get caught up in an avalanche! LOL!


Our front lawn is an Arctic tundra.


Our home sits at a "T" intersection. This is the view down the "stem" of the "T", looking towards the road parallel to our own.


This is the view down the upper-left portion of the "T".


This is the view looking up the upper-right portion of the "T".


Another view down the "stem" of the "T" in front of our home.


My neighbor was obviously unsuccessful trying to drive out of the development this morning with her Honda Civic; she's among the many who had to call off without pay due to the township's neglect.


Another view of the snow mounds near our driveway.


Looking up the street towards my home on the hill.


Looking down a street that runs perpendicular to our own.


You can see just how deep these ruts in the road entering our subdivision are. How on Earth is my Ford Contour supposed to tackle THOSE in the morning to get to class? Thanks for nothing, King's College!


Looking out the main entrance of our subdivision towards Highway 315 and I-81. Notice the stopped traffic along I-81 Southbound in the distance.


A view of Highway 315 looking northbound, towards the Dupont town line.


A view of Highway 315 looking southbound, towards the Pilot Travel Center. Just after I snapped this photo, a State Police jeep came down and blocked the roadway, as more trucks had jacknifed up ahead, blocking the roadway.


Our neighbor's Land Rover looks like a lost soul on our unplowed streets.


Another messy intersection in our subdivision.


Bear in mind also that Pittston Area is one of only a handful of public school districts that have already closed for tomorrow as well, which should make our suburban elected officials feel ashamed of themselves for not yet plowing any of our roadways! What if, heaven forbid, an AMBULANCE needed to get up here? Who would be responsible then? We haven't had our newspaper delivered, nor have we had mail delivered in two days now due to the horrific road conditions---what gives?

[greentown]

We are in Wallenpaupack School district. Not sure if we have school tomorrow. That was one of the first questions my sons asked this morning after they found out the school was closed today! Actually, since my husband and I both drive 4WD vehicles and we have always owned a snow plow because we have a very large driveway, we probably could have left the house if we wanted to. But, I have rather enjoyed staying home and having the kids play in the snow (although the hanging the wet, snow-covered coats, hats, gloves, putting them on, then taking them off cycle is getting a little old!!).

I have to say that I was (and still am) astonished that in this day and age so many people can be stranded on an interstate for that many hours. Part of the blame goes to not calling a snow emergency, part goes to Penn DOT for not staying on top of it, and part goes to people who did not stay off the roads, especially those who don't at least have 4WD vehicles. As far as stores, such a Lowe's, being open, why not, if there are employees who got there and wanted to work? Although some people can't get out of their driveways, others can and did. My husband needed a part for the plow truck yesterday and drove to a nearby town to get it. Luckily, they were open for business. Personally, I absolutely hate driving in bad weather (even with a 4WD) and I avoid it at all costs!!

[I LOVE PA!]

I consider myself very fortunate to work for a family business that completely understands that it is rediculous to kill yourself to get to work in a snow storm, especially when no end is in sight! Previous to this lovely job I have had for 4 years now, I worked for various banks in 2 different states and they next to never close! I can remember Wayne County being declared a State of Emergency in the early afternoon one Friday during a horrible storm, and the bank still stayed open till 7:00 P.M. and opened the next day for Sat. morning hours.
While living in NY, during a hurricane, the bank I worked in was in an area that was being evacuated. Across LI, many people didn't go to work and we all received the same ansty letter about not showing up for work from the higher up's giving no regard to the fact that that a handful of the branches were in evacuated areas. We all got the same letter. Bosses just done care in general. I'm trying to teach my 19 yr. old that when calling in for weather, you can expect to get an attitude but get over it, call off when your safety is at risk.
Things haven't changed in the 30 years I have been in the work force.
Too bad every boss could'nt be as considerate as mine!!

[I LOVE PA!]

Well, speaking of Bosses, I just talked to my husband who has been on the road since midnight Tues night. He is a truck driver and usually comes home every night. His last delivery for Wed. to a store was closed so his boss insisted he sit in the parking lot till this morning, sleeping in his truck so he could watch his load. He made the delivery this morning and has been sitting in traffic ever since and doesn't think he'll make it home tonight either. The best part is his boss hasn't called him at all to see where he is or if he is OK. They all went home at the office.

[ScranBarre]

Greentown, I wouldn't mind Lowe's being open during the blizzard if they didn't sound so "annoyed" that people like me had to call off due to having small cars and living along impassable roadways. If the store were closed to begin with, then I wouldn't have had to worry about practically begging to call off!

[MB2]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Greentown, I wouldn't mind Lowe's being open during the blizzard if they didn't sound so "annoyed" that people like me had to call off due to having small cars and living along impassable roadways. If the store were closed to begin with, then I wouldn't have had to worry about practically begging to call off!

Speaking of employers........
When I worked at Gerrity's Supermarket (for 13 years), THEY called employees at their homes to let them know, NOT to bother coming in, because it was way to dangerous. However, some people were able to walk to work!!!!! They were awesome about that. Don't know, if they still are, but do believe so......

[greentown]

SWB: Lowe's is a large corporation and as such, they expect to be open for business to serve the customers that do show up. You live in NEPA and know what the different seasons can bring and it is your choice as to what type of car you drive and your decision as to whether you can make it to work on a snowy day. As I said before, even though I have 4WD, I would have stayed home whether or not my employer thought I should go in because I do not feel confident enough to drive in those conditions. I'm sure you weren't the only one who couldn't make it in.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by greentown

SWB: Lowe's is a large corporation and as such, they expect to be open for business to serve the customers that do show up. You live in NEPA and know what the different seasons can bring and it is your choice as to what type of car you drive and your decision as to whether you can make it to work on a snowy day. As I said before, even though I have 4WD, I would have stayed home whether or not my employer thought I should go in because I do not feel confident enough to drive in those conditions. I'm sure you weren't the only one who couldn't make it in.

You still avoided my main concern which was them sounding "annoyed" that I couldn't make it in today. NO employer should "guilt-trip" their employees into making it into work if the road conditions truly are dangerous. FYI, my mother has a Subaru Forester, and she ALSO couldn't make it into work today on her own. She had to walk a half-mile to a plowed roadway and have her BOSS pick her up! My father has an F-150, and barely made it out this morning either because the foot-and-a-half of snow on our roads is now caked in ice due to last night's deep freeze. There's no excuse for none of our roads to still have been plowed even ONCE as of mid-day Friday when the storm started way back on Tuesday! Telling me to "buy a 4-wheel drive" is a moot point if a Subaru Forester couldn't even make it out.

[weluvpa]

You think that its wrong that your local DPW had not even started to plow until now? How about Scrantons DPW director lives in Moscow and could not come in to manage the State of Emergency we have in the city. NO PLOWS IN ANY NEIGHBORHOODS, but all the streets of the mayor and his admin as well as city councilman's streets where plowed on wednesday afternoon and there still are cars stuck all over the city and residents that cannot get out at all. I called in favor and had a large piece of equipment(Front Loader) come in a dig out our street so that if need be the handicapped residents as well as the elderly can get out. I have a large 1 ton 4x4 and went out to see for myself what has and has not been done. Nothing has been done and we have just received a 25% tax increase with no services to show for it.