Posted on 01/29/2014 7:22:03 AM PST by Lazamataz
Atlanta, Georgia was covered with what, in other parts of the country, might be considered a light dusting of snow. Approximately one to three inches of snow fell since noon Tuesday, and continued until about 5:00PM that same day.
Due to poor planning, bad decisions by employers and school officials, and slow reaction by commuters, a gridlock has happened that put the entire Metro area, and many major highways, entirely out of commission.
There are reports of some people who have been in their cars, stationary, for as many as 16 hours -- including one person who reports being on the road 21 hours. Many motorists have run out of gasoline, and quite a few commuters abandoned their vehicles to go into local restaurants and stores to keep warm.
HERO rescue trucks and salt-spreading vehicles have found it impossible to perform their duties due to the complete gridlock. Various city and county officials cannot predict when the crisis will ease.
It is estimated that 100,000 to as many as 250,000 people have been stranded overnight, and since the prediction is for no temperature increase over freezing (except for briefly midday) there is no estimate to when the gridlock will ease.
Road conditions are called 'extremely slick and very icy' and many accidents have been reported.
I give you folks a break for not having experience with that crap. Up here kids learn to drive on the ice in the first year and us country kids learn before getting our licenses.
My granddad caught me playing on the ice once and just shrugged it off as learning.
Here is a great link.
http://www.businessinsider.com/atlanta-traffic-jam-pictures-2014-1
I made the decision to leave work at 2:00 and live near Winder. Luckily it never got too bad out here. At 1:00 I heard there were already 15-20 wrecks in Cobb county with several overturned vehicles.
All the weather stations were saying Atlanta may get 0.5” dusting and all the main snow would be 2 hours south of Atlanta. They also said it wouldn’t come through until 3:00 So when it hit at 11:00, no one was prepared.
From the reports I heard, the snow hit the ground, melted, and then froze again.
Our street and Lawrenceville highway are starting to thaw out in the sun. We are making a Fantasy Five and wine run later in the afternoon. :-)
The ground should be pretty warm, and be able to melt the ice shortly, even if the air temperature is not above freezing.
Well then.
The prediction of global warming 20 years out, MUST be true.
They are just so GOOD at predicting the weather!
The Rule of the South I grew up in was Stay Home. For some reason, the uneducated elected officials in Birmingham and Atlanta did not learn about what happens when wetness freezes on roads. Were they concerned about federal dollars and how closing school would affect their checkbooks? That makes no sense. Were they just stupid? Did they think Obama would breathe hot air on the ice and magically melt it if it happened? I am waiting for the OBAMA’s FAULT chants.
Can we all sat Direct TV did the right thing by removing The Weather Channel? Headquarters are in Atlanta. Total fail. Plus, they are owned by NBC.
say not sat
High birth rate in September to ensue.
The pictures you see of those highways is exactly the way it was here when Rita hurricane was coming here. I was safe at my Conroe house and a few blocks away, people were stranded on interstate 45. Going north on that one was the worst and people died on that road, going west was bad but didn't get report of death on that one.
This is why hurricanes make you think of your preps and it was hurricanes that started me prepping. I know right now you are glad of what you have stored and you will think of other things you need to store by going through this emergency. Make a list of what you need that you don't have, and try to get those items for a next emergency.
On the list ... check!
Seriously though I was very happy with my emergency performance. I led the concern-curve by about 2 hours and that got me home before everyone started getting stuck. Hope i’m as good for the Big One.
As far as supplies, I can’t think of anything this event showed me that I don’t have. ... except maybe a three-wheel offroader vehicle....
Sorry to disappoint, but everything very quiet and orderly here. Very few accidents. Most major bridges and elevated highways shut down. Surface roads all clear, mostly dry, with very light traffic. I’m at my office right now.
With ice accumulation, power is likely to go off. Atlanta doesn't have that much ice as I understand, it is just ice on the road from some but not heavy melting snow freezing. Your power will stay on in that case, but if it was freezing rain building up on power lines, it would have gone down. Think about your prep needs if power goes out. Anything you don't have, add it to the blonde lady list.
Glad to hear you bailed early. You may become known as the mine canary at work. We have a guy at work who is known to a couple of us other preppers as someone who is ready to “go Galt” at a moment’s notice. We tell each other “if you ever see Dan running for the door, you had better be right on his heels.”
WTF???
How cold was it?
This cold
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