The things we got RIGHT during the snowstorm (Atlanta, College Park: upper-class, crime)

[toll_booth]

We've pretty well analyzed all the things that went wrong during Tuesday's snowstorm. They mostly include:

-Horribly delayed responses by GADOT, Governor Deal, and local officials and school superintendents.
-Some local media's downplaying the storm before it arrived (but not the National Weather Service).
-A lack of awareness on the part of the general public.
-The presence of sprawl and the lack of transit options.

So other than the fact that there was no mass flooding, this was basically our Hurricane Katrina, if only on a smaller scale, right? No. Not even close. Consider the following:

1. There was no crime spree. If metro Atlanta ever had an opportunity to decay into a region of lawlessness and violence, it was last Tuesday night. With the roads horrifically congested, and the police so busy answering traffic-related calls, we could have easily made a bad situation become much, much worse. But that did not happen. People with guns did not start using them on anyone nearby. Several stores, including drug stores and grocery stores, opened their doors to let people spend the night. Yet aside from maybe an isolated incident or two at worst, they didn't get looted. And let's not forget that this is a very economically and racially diverse region. Translation: EVERYONE pulled their weight here, not just middle- and upper-class whites.

2. The statewide death toll is one person. ONE. It's sad that he died but an absolute miracle that dozens more did not. Considering that people were stranded in their cars for so long with so little preparation, one wonders why so many more did not perish on the roadways due to carbon monoxide poisoning (a serious danger for snow-stranded motorists) or hypothermia. And what about the inevitable ambulance calls on a normal days? Once people began to abandon their cars, even the emergency lanes became impassable. Either we have some very healthy residents, we have people who know how to hold off their heart attacks, or we just got lucky.

3. We did stay home on Wednesday. After the horrifying commutes on Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night (and for many, Wednesday morning), people heeded the call and stayed home on Wednesday. Once the traffic finally cleared, many of the interstates were almost completely empty aside from the cars that had been left behind. This gave GADOT and local municipalities the much-needed opportunity to finally start salting the roads.

4. MARTA rail remained open. Service was a bit delayed, but nowhere near the level that the streets and highways were. Anyone who was fortunate enough to have a rail-and-walk-only commute was spared most of the direct effects of the traffic fiasco. Even those who did park-and-ride gained a considerable head start over those who had to drive home the whole way or had chosen to do so.

5. Thousands of stories of acts of good will. Many people went out of their way to feed and water those who were stuck in traffic. Some hotels and stores--even stores that sold food--opened their doors to people who were stranded with no way home. And social media became a lifesaver, sometimes literally.

Well-played, citizens. We just proved to the world that although we can screw up, we can also RISE UP!

[0nyxStation]

Greg........

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by BlackPeach2

Greg........

Don't shut this down, please. I want to give a shout-out to those who deserve it.

[ElleKaye]

When things fly off the rails (and without question they did Tuesday), sometimes you're only left with bad options. I'd say the decisions made by officials later that day were the best of the bad options.

Also, there are countless examples of people going completely out of their way to help total strangers..

[tonygeorgia2]

MARTA- Was operational moving people across the city

Airport- Was operating within 24 hours

Piedmont Park- Kids were playing in the snow and people were out having fun. Great park to have in the city.

[ATLTJL]

I agree, people really stepped up to offer their help, resources, and even homes to complete strangers.

That's a very cool feather in Atlanta's cap to be sure.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia2

MARTA- Was operational moving people across the city

Airport- Was operating within 24 hours

Piedmont Park- Kids were playing in the snow and people were out having fun. Great park to have in the city.

MARTA! Crap, I need to add this.

[tonygeorgia2]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I agree, people really stepped up to offer their help, resources, and even homes to complete strangers.

That's a very cool feather in Atlanta's cap to be sure.

I really wished I live in Midtown during this storm. I was so jealous. People were actually able to walk around. I had to walk around my complex . They had access to Piedmont Park. Access to tons of bars. You know they were packed.


The southern hospitality was awesome. We really showed the world that we were a world class citt with world class residents. This type of help would have never happened in "other" cities. God Bless Atlanta

[notoriouskelly]

Well done, Hotlanta!

[tikigod311]

I had so much fun over the snow break. It was awesome to see my neighborhood come alive and together to have fun and help people out. I think this will go down as one of my fondest memories of living in College Park. What a beautiful place.

Please don't shut this one down. Im tired of all the b***hfest posts.