Massive Rescue Effort Underway...BREAKING (snowbound cars stuck on KY highways)

NBC 6 Paducah KY | 12/23/04 | Beau Dodson

[dstarr]

On December 26th of last year, my husband and I went out to Missouri using I-24. We turned off of the interstate in Paducah and took Hwy 60 to Wickliffe where we would cross the Ohio and the Mississippi on those narrow old bridges. It is amazing to picture so much of I-24 under that much snow and all of the cars stuck there.

[Ciexyz]

Brrr, those photos with the snow look cold!

Fortunately, the snow passed us by in southwestern PA. Ohio got it all.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Well, after this you can tack another $100,000 onto the average California home price. ;)

My thoughts too. It was just a real pretty day today. Clear, sunny, about 72 degrees, and all the flowers blooming.

[Joe Hadenuf]

"Well, after this you can tack another $100,000 onto the average California home price. ;)"

You know, after having grown up in the snow and lived in it for nearly 60 years, I wouldn't trade it for a free house in CA or FL. It's just part of life. It makes you feel you can take anything thrown at you.

LOL! That's funny. About 72 here today, clear, sunny, flowers blooming.

Uh, I've been to Ohio and other cold weather places. From what I have noted, people in warm weather places like Cal seem to be in much better shape physically, due to being out more and staying busy, exercising etc, year round, instead of holed up in the house, trying to stay warm, for months on end.

Glad you like this kind of weather. I wouldn't trade with you for the world. Been cold done that, never, ever again.

And as the population and boomers grow older, the less they are going to like too. Stay warm there in Ohio. Take care.

[ShorelineMike]

CVG airport (Cleveland?) Delta, no flights going out before 11 a.m.

Yoicks ... CVG (Covington, KY) is the Cincinnati airport -- Delta's number two hub, I believe, after Atlanta. That's going to really screw up DL operations.

Time to revive the old joke about Delta being an acronym for "Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport." (ducking)

[lakey]

From what I have noted, people in warm weather places like Cal seem to be in much better shape physically, due to being out more and staying busy, exercising etc, year round, instead of holed up in the house, trying to stay warm, for months on end.

How right you are! I'd give almost anything to be back in Southern California and out of these cold, windy Arizona mountains. Winters are long, and spring and autumn are almost non-existent. We thought there would be four seasons.

Trouble is, we can't afford to move back now, unless it someplace like run-down Palm Springs, Desert "Desperate" Hot Springs, or Yucca Flats.

[Joe Hadenuf]

How right you are! I'd give almost anything to be back in Southern California and out of these cold, windy Arizona mountains.

I fully understand Lakey.

We had good friends move to Colorado a few years back. They regret it, and found they don't like the brutal cold, altitude etc.

It was kind of sad, their two kids moved back to So. Cal last year, as they missed it and this is where they were raised. They are now staying with old friends, got jobs etc. The kids were never happy in CO. My friend in his wife say no matter what they'll make it back, and very much regret looking for green pastures now.

Heard last week he may have a very good job opportunity/prospect in the Orange County area. It's hard to return to Cal once you leave due to cost etc. That was one of the reasons we never left. We knew that. We also know that many that left have regreted that decision.

Like my good friends in CO, I wish you and yours the best of luck on getting back home. I really mean that.

Merry Christmas lakey!

[lakey]

Merry Christmas to you and yours, too.

The only thing I don't miss about CA is the traffic. Phoenix is almost as bad, though. But we stay away from there as much as possible, especially during the summer.

I will say a couple of nice things about Arizona, particularly where we live, the people smile. If someone loses a credit card, etc., 99 9/10's percent of the time it will be returned to the owner.

And that beautiful photo you posted reminds me that the monsoon rains are quite wonderful. Arizona has fabulous cloud formations and sunsets.

[Schwaeky]

THe roads here in Bowling Green are very slick, but manageable with FWD. I'm glad I didn't fire up the rocket car (83 Cutlass w/ 455), I'd be all over the road with it...

fell on my butt a few times at work though while working outside...

[nibs81672]

I was one of the people who was stuck at Exit 11 on I24 west of Nashville. I was heading to Chicago from Atlanta (I'm from the Midwest and am used to winter driving). Back in Nashville, there were no DOT signs indicating an issue on I24. I checked the DOT radio station (from a sign posted in Nashville) and all it did was broadcast information on construction on I 65. It didn't have any information on any road closures. Nashville could benefit from digital traffic and DOT signs. Most large cities have these now. They are used to provide traffic and weather info, Amber Alerts, and tag numbers for wanted vehicled. Had there been a sign saying I24 closed, many people would have never gotten on it. I know I wouldn't have. As for the weather, I encountered the first of the bad snow at mile marker 31 but the first real exit with amenities was at 11. Eastbound was a parking lot, so getting off on an exit ramp and going backwards was not an option. Travelers were forced to continue heading west. It took 2 hours to get from mile marker 31 to 11. The ice and snow was so choppy that my car was being tossed around. The undercarriage was rubbing the snow the entire time. I have all wheel drive and ESP, and the fastest I could go was 5-10 MPH for most of the drive. At exit 11, there was finally a sign stating that I 24 was closed 48 miles ahead, so most people were exiting. Of course, the four hotels had no occupancy, and travelers were left to spend the night in their cars. I was one of the lucky ones that got to spend the night in a parking lot rather than the interstate. I arrived at exit 11 at 11:30 PM and eastbound 24 was a parking lot. Eastbound traffic didn't start to even move until 6AM. Many of the parked cars wouldn't start, which complicated the situation, Knowing that heading west would mean more treacherous driving, I decided to head back to Atlanta. Instead of getting on I24 (which now had two overturned semis) I took 76 south to 41A. As for the roads - there were several issues. They were not plowed like typical northern roads. For those who are saying they live in <> and get 14 inches all the time, what's the big deal, etc... all I can say is that in the north, they plow. In Tennessee, there wasn't a single plow to be seen. We were told that plows wouldn't be out until 8AM - they do not plow through the night. Having lived in the south, I can state that a 2 inch snow cover in Atlanta, for example, is far more treacherous than a 10 inch snowfall in the north. The southern states are not equipped for snow, and definitely cannot handle a storm system like this.

[eno_]

Not to make light of a serious situation, but how many of these people are driving SUV's and think they are big ATV's that can handle bad weather

Don't know what SUV you are driving, but if mine slides off the road, I lock the differentials and drive right out of the snowbank. If the road ices up, I could drive on the median, if need be. While toasting my butt on the seat heaters and listening to the CD changer.

[Bernard]

My uncle moved to Murray a long time ago. Murray is about 30 south of Paducah. When there was 1" of snow, my cousin did not have school because the buses could not get around.

Even if you were there, the biggest traffic hazard is the natives who can't drive in snow, just like any place that gets snow once in a very great while.

[OldSgt.]

Sorry it took so long to get back to ya, No, I didn't move to the cities until 98' But it sounds like I'm glad I wasn't up there then!!!!